East Timor leaders agree to expand forum
East Timor leaders agree to expand forum
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders from East Timor still residing in
Indonesia, along with others living in exile, agreed to expand
their forum to include other overseas Timorese factions in hopes
of bringing about total reconciliation.
F.X. Lopez Da Cruz leads the pro-integration delegation that
plans to meet with leaders of those who oppose integration into
Indonesia. He said that separatist leaders like Ramos Horta
would also be invited to join the forum, the Antara news agency
reported on Saturday.
Lopez was speaking in Chepstow, Wales, at the second round of
meetings with the delegation of East Timorese in exile, led by
Abilio Araujo, now living in Portugal.
The first meeting in London last December was a major
breakthrough and marked the first steps towards reconciliation
between various East Timorese groups that split after the
outbreak of civil war in 1975. Many of those who opposed East
Timor's integration with Indonesia have been living in exile.
Some, like Ramos Horta, have been waging their separatist cause
from abroad by campaigning for international support.
Lopez's delegation includes such prominent East Timorese as
Salvador Soares, Fransisco Xavier do Amaral, Jose Concalves, Abel
de Fatima dos Santos, Ahmad Alkatiri, Maria Luisa Quintao and
Carlos Alberto de Fatima.
UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, acting as mediator
between Indonesia and Portugal in resolving the dispute over the
sovereignty of East Timor, sent an envoy, Tamrat Samuel, to
Chepstow to observe the meeting, according to Antara.
Lopez said his delegation has offered to establish direct
communication lines with Araujo and other leaders in exile in
order to get first-hand information about events in East Timor,
reducing reliance on reports from the Portuguese or the
international press.
"They can contact us either in Jakarta or Dili, individually
if they like. There is no need to establish a special forum for
that," he was quoted as saying.
The offer was made after Araujo, prompted by various
allegations that appeared in the Portuguese press, raised
questions about human rights in East Timor. (emb)