E. Timorese stage rally at the foreign ministry

E. Timorese stage rally at the foreign ministry

JAKARTA (JP): About 1000 East Timorese staged a rally in front
of the foreign ministry yesterday demanding a referendum in
Indonesia's youngest province and the release of jailed
separatist leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao.

"We have made a petition that should be read before President
B.J. Habibie, Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas," the protesters' spokesman, Aderito
de Jesus Soares, said.

The protesters, calling themselves the "Front Nasional Timor
Leste", demanded that a referendum on independence be held and
that Xanana be included in the government's release of political
prisoners.

Three foreign ministry officials -- Director of Foreign
Information Ghaffar Fadyl, acting Director for Political Affairs
Hadi Wayarabi and Director for Security and Guidance of the
Indonesian Community Abroad Boedidoyo -- met with representatives
of the protesters to receive the demands.

Gaffar promised that he would convey the protesters' wishes to
Alatas as soon as the minister returned from the Philippines.

Alatas went to the Philippines to attend the country's
centennial independence celebrations.

The demonstration began at about 7:00 a.m when protesters
began unfurling posters and banners on the ministry's grounds.

Some then entered the main building unchallenged and sat in
the lobby while hundreds waved black, gold, red and white rebel
flags.

Security forces moved in at about 1 p.m. to flush out the
protesters after repeated appeals from ministry officials to
disperse went unheeded.

In an attempt to escape, many protesters jumped over the front
fence of the ministry's compound.

All were eventually herded onto buses and driven away under
police escort.

The ministry said in a statement that two protesters and one
soldier were injured. They were Agustina da Foceca, Maria de
Fatima and Pvt. Amrullah.

The two protesters were rushed to St. Carolus Hospital on Jl.
Salemba, Central Jakarta, while Amrullah was taken to nearby
Gatot Subroto Hospital.

The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI)
condemned the security forces' actions yesterday for arresting
activists Bonar Tigor Naipospos, Tri Agus Siswowihardja and Benny
who had been distributing bottled water to the protesters.

A statement signed by PBHI's executive director Hendardi said
the three were arbitrarily arrested despite merely distributing
the bottled water.

Separately, in Dili, East Timor, Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes
Belo asserted yesterday that any solution to the East Timor issue
must be resolved through the current talks between Indonesia and
Portugal under the auspices of the United Nations.

He said that the result of the dialog must be fair and
accepted by all parties.

Belo, however, warned that the talks must involve the East
Timorese people, otherwise the problem would be protracted.

East Timor was integrated as the country's 27th province in
1976, but the UN still recognizes Lisbon as its administrator.
(byg)