E. Timor's former governor and family flee to Macau

JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta-appointed governor of East Timor Mario Viegas Carrascalao and his family have fled to the Portuguese territory of Macao, fearing for their lives if they stayed in Indonesia, the Antara news agency reported on Friday.

"I'll go back only after a democratic government is formed in Indonesia," Carrascalao said upon his arrival at the airport in Macao, near Hong Kong, on Thursday night.

Mario Carrascalao, also a member of the Supreme Advisory Council, said he decided to take refuge abroad after receiving numerous death threats from unidentified persons.

Mario's brother, proindependence fighter Manuel Carrascalao, is still in East Timor. Manuel's 18-year-old son, who was also called Mario, was killed last Saturday in an attack by prointegration forces.

Mario Carrascalao has criticized the government and the Armed Forces for arming the East Timor militias believed to be responsible for killing East Timorese supporting independence.

He revealed his family and relatives repeatedly received death threats after he made comments about Jakarta's offer of a choice between independence or autonomy for East Timor.

He said he was one of a number of East Timorese figures on a prointegration militia hit-list.

Macao, an island adjacent to Hong Kong, has been for 442 years under Portugal's administrative control, and is scheduled to be returned to China on Dec. 19, 1999. (rms)