E. Timorese demonstrate at British embassy

E. Timorese demonstrate at British embassy

JAKARTA (JP): About 50 East Timorese students staged a
peaceful rally in front of the British Embassy on Jl. MH. Thamrin
yesterday, demanding officials attending the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM) in London include human rights issues in East Timor on
their agenda.

Mariano Sabino Lopez, spokesman for the East Timor Student
Association, appealed to the officials to help stop what they see
as rampant violations of human rights in the former Portuguese
colony.

The association, which is made up of East Timorese students
studying in various Javanese cities, also urged officials
attending the meetig to put pressure on Indonesia to withdraw
troops from the territory which become part of the country in
1976.

Mariano said a solution to the East Timorese problem would
boost relations between countries participating in the ASEM.

"Cooperation between the members of ASEM should not focus
solely on economic issues because a country's economy cannot be
separated from national, regional and international political
affairs", Mariano said in his statement.

Riot police from the Menteng subprecinct and troops from the
district military command quickly sealed the area to prevent
possible unrest after the demonstrators arrived at about 11 a.m.

Leaders and senior officials from European and Asian countries
are meeting from April 1 through today at the Queen Elizabeth II
Conference Center in Westminster, London.

The focus of the meeting is on economic issues, including the
Asian crisis. Human rights is not on the agenda.

Indonesia is represented at the meeting by Vice President B.J.
Habibie.

Some of the protesters were seen trying to clamber onto the
embassy's fences to display posters outlining their demands.

They dispersed peacefully just before 2 p.m. after an embassy
official briefly met them and received a petition to be submitted
to the ambassador. (09)