East Timor agitators desperate: Alatas

East Timor agitators desperate: Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas yesterday
berated the bedlam created by East Timorese agitators in the last
12 months as a "desperate" effort to revive the waning
international interest in their cause.

In his regular media briefing at the start of the year, Alatas
maintained that various incidents were "contrived" by certain
groups or individuals, in particular Fretilin separatist leader
Ramos Horta, to seek financial support and to justify the anti-
integration movement.

"This is a sign of desperation on the part of certain parties,
who, with any means possible, will try to rekindle a dying issue
which no longer commands world attention without such invented
commotion," he said.

Only by provoking such incidents can Ramos Horta and his
associates secure funds from sympathetic non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), he said. "If there are no activities, then
the flow of money from NGOs will cease."

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
part of Indonesia in 1976. The United Nations however continues
to regard Lisbon as the reigning administrative authority there.

Based in Australia, Ramos Horta leads the Fretilin separatist
movement.

In the past year, dozens of young East Timorese forced their
way into foreign embassies in Jakarta, demanding political
asylum. The British, French, Japanese, Russian and Dutch
embassies were the targets of these "invasions". Each and every
government rejected the petition for asylum, but 43 of the youths
eventually won passage to Portugal.

Timorese boat people were also found in Australia, while
several hundreds of East Timorese used tourist visas to get into
the same country where they sought refugee status.

Although reports have surfaced that several Timorese youths
have become disenchanted and are wanting to return home after
several months in Lisbon, Alatas said Jakarta has not received
any formal requests from anyone wanting to return.

Request

"I think they might feel a little ashamed to forward a
request," he said, adding that he felt sorry for the youths who
have become "political pawns".

Alatas chided Horta for his extravagant lifestyle and
expensive tastes, while he abandoned the youths he recruited and
encouraged to forsake their country.

Speaking of tomorrow's return of 10 East Timorese and their
families, who were sent into exile by the Portuguese colonial
administration in 1960, Alatas praised them as true heroes who
fought against colonial rule.

"Unlike Ramos Horta, who never fought against Portugal and is
on the contrary an accomplice of Portugal," he said.

On the prospect of an international solution to the East Timor
issue, Alatas reaffirmed Jakarta's commitment to the UN sponsored
talks with the Portuguese foreign minister.

The seventh meeting is due to be held on Jan. 16 in London.

Alatas accused Lisbon of not creating a conducive atmosphere
to help find a solution. "Portugal, with all means possible,
systematically engages in provocative acts, which we consider
adverse to the spirit of mutual restraint," he said in a written
statement.

Despite evidence that Ramos Horta has deviated from the agreed
terms of the All-Inclusive East Timor Dialog, Jakarta "in
principal" supports the holding of another meeting, he said.

For the first time, Timorese that oppose and support
integration held a reconciliation dialog in Austria last June.

Alatas said the date and venue of the next dialog will be
discussed during the seventh trilateral talks in London in a
fortnight's time. (mds)