E. Timor students demand referendum

E. Timor students demand referendum

JAKARTA (JP): East Timorese students pressed for a referendum
yesterday to determine the future of the former Portuguese
colony.

Four students, representing East Timorese students in Java,
met with members of the National Commission on Human Rights to
discuss their demand.

They said many East Timorese thought a referendum was the best
solution to the East Timor problem, but the Indonesian government
seemed rigidly against the idea.

The students gave out a copy of a petition they had addressed
to House of Representatives Speaker Wahono.

The petition called for an end to fighting between the
military and pro-independence rebels, and a reconciliation of the
different factions in East Timor.

The East Timor Students Movement for Peace delegates were met
by commission member Clementino dos Reis Amaral, also from East
Timor.

The delegates, lead by Zeto Felix da Costa, also demanded the
government implement the resolutions of the All Inclusive Inter
East Timor Dialog that was held in Austria last year.

East Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976, but the UN still
recognizes Portugal as its administrator.

The East Timorese students filed their petition ahead of
tripartite talks on East Timor between the Indonesian and
Portuguese foreign ministers this week, under the auspices of the
UN secretary general in New York.

In their petition the students said East Timor's problems were
chiefly political matters rather than economic or social ones.
Therefore a political solution was required, they said.

They criticized both Indonesia and Portugal for being
inconsistent in seeking a political solution. They described
Portugal as lacking the capability to find a resolution, and
Indonesia as arrogant and unrealistic in settling the problem.

Amaral said the commission would discuss the matter. (11)