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)