E. Timor's Belo denies asking special status
E. Timor's Belo denies asking special status
DILI (JP): East Timor Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo has
denied reports that he demanded East Timor be turned into an
exclusive Catholic territory.
Belo's message was carried by Vicar General of the Dili
diocese Mgr. Jose Antonio da Costa in a press release made
available yesterday.
Costa said that he made the statement in consultation with
Belo before the bishop left for the Vatican to meet with the
pope. Costa and Belo discussed the report in the Sept. 23 edition
of Gatra magazine, which claims that Belo demanded the status for
the territory.
"We need to stress that it is completely untrue. Bishop Belo
never made such a statement," Costa said.
The predominantly Catholic East Timor, a former Portuguese
colony, was integrated into Indonesia in 1976, but the UN still
recognizes Portugal as its administrator.
The news report came a week after the province was stricken
with a wave of racial and religious rioting which pitted ethnic
Timorese against non-indigenous migrant traders.
Several marketplaces were burned down, migrants' houses
attacked, vehicles set ablaze and more than a dozen people were
arrested in the spate of incidents that occurred between Sept. 2
and 14.
The rioting was triggered by a statement made by a Moslem
prison official that locals considered offensive to the church.
Belo's comment in the magazine stirred strong reactions from
various religious leaders, including a group of 100 Moslem Ulemas
from Greater Jakarta who on Monday brought their concern to the
House of Representatives.
Costa said that what Belo meant was the distinctiveness of the
local society, the majority of which are Catholic, should be
considered, but without neglecting the existence of other
religions such as Islam and Protestant.
Costa added that Belo would be willing to meet and have a
discussion with Moslem ulemas and Protestant leaders from East
Timor.
However, Costa said Belo could not as yet give a positive
answer to the wishes of the 100 ulemas from Greater Jakarta to
meet with the bishop because he had to first consult with other
church leaders in the diocese.
Separately yesterday, the editor-in-chief of Gatra magazine,
Herry Komar, told The Jakarta Post by telephone that he stood by
the report issued in the magazine.
"In principal I believe in the report made by my journalist,"
he said, adding that the report was based on a valid interview
which is recorded on tape.
He explained that Belo has the right of reply and if he is
unsatisfied he can take up the issue through the Indonesian
Journalists Association or legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, 16 youth organizations affiliated with the ruling
Golkar faction expressed concern yesterday over widely-circulated
pamphlets as well as the racial and religious tension plaguing
some parts of the country.
Asep R. Sudjana of the FKPPI, an organization of the grown
children of retired military officers, lashed out at groups which
he claimed are anti-government and have been wreaking havoc in
society.
Without specifying these groups, Asep told journalists that
FKPPI members have examined the latest development and concluded
that the rumors "are systematic efforts by anti-New Order
government groups to divide the country."
Asep was accompanied by, among others, Yorrys Raweyai of the
Pemuda Pancasila youth organization and Sofyan Lubis, chairman of
the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), who is also a
leading member of Golkar.
The FKPPI members, some of whom are about 40 years old, also
accused "anti-government" groups of trying to put a wedge between
the Armed Forces and civilians, and of launching other campaigns
to undermine the national leadership.
Those groups, Asep claimed, have tried to sow "hatred and
prejudice against the government, (and incite) conflicts among
ethnic and religious groups".
"Those campaigns clearly smack of the movement of the PKI," he
said, referring to the now-banned Indonesian Communist Party.
(yac/swe/mds)