East Timorese call for more talks

East Timorese call for more talks

By Aboeprijadi Santoso

STADT-SCHLAINING, Austria (JP): East Timorese from both sides
of the integration debate have supported holding future talks in
the framework of the All-Inclusive Intra East Timor Dialog
(AETD).

The participants in the four-day dialog, which concluded here
yesterday, agreed to ask the Indonesian and Portuguese
governments and the United Nations, to support a convening of
similar talks in the future.

The dialog should be held once or twice a year, they felt.

However, they remain separated on contentious issues such as
the demilitarization of the region.

This week's meeting was the second round of talks; the first
was held here last year.

The dialog was born out of the fifth tripartite talks between
the Indonesian and Portuguese foreign ministers in January 1995,
held in Geneva under the aegis of the United Nations Secretary
General.

It brings together East Timorese of all factions who support
and oppose integration.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated into
Indonesia in 1976. Nevertheless the UN still recognizes Lisbon as
the administrating power there.

Participants of the AETD are not allowed to discuss political
solutions to the East Timor question. This is the prerogative of
the tripartite talks between Jakarta, Lisbon and the UN.

During this round, there were debates over the separatist
leaders' proposal that the AETD be institutionalized as possibly
a consultative body at the UN.

While various proposals were being aired, the leader of the
Timorese from Indonesia, F.X. Lopes da Cruz, strongly rejected
an item calling for the demilitarization of East Timor.

Indonesia has never considered East Timor to be a militarized
area.

Another item discussed is visits from East Timorese living
abroad to their homes in East Timor.

Lopes indicated that he and his group of pro-integrationists
would be open to the idea of inviting such visits within the
framework of the AETD.

Fretilin separatist leader Ramos Horta also warmed to the idea
of such visits.

"I personally would like to go. But since this a political
matter I would have to consult Xanana Gusmao," said Horta
referring to the jailed separatist leader who is now serving time
in Cipinang prison, Jakarta.

After the conclusion of their meeting, AETD delegates were
scheduled to meet with visiting Portuguese foreign minister Jaime
Gama in Vienna, about 120 kilometers away.

He was scheduled to meet with East Timorese integration
supporters in the afternoon and East Timorese from abroad later
in the day.