EU envoys greeted by protesters in Dili
JAKARTA (Agencies): Thousands of protesters escorted three European ambassadors through the streets of the East Timor capital Dili yesterday as the envoys surveyed political conditions in the troubled province, Reuters reported.
The crowd of about 5,000, many on foot and some in trucks, forced the ambassadors' minibus to a crawl through the city's streets from their hotel to the home of a leading dissident.
The protesters, including students and local residents, shouted "Referendum" and "Dead or alive, we prefer to be independent", as they followed the envoys.
Troops stood back and watched from a distance and there were no reports of violence.
One banner draped on a truck said "East Timor is not part of Indonesia". Others had pictures of jailed separatist leader Jose Alexandre Xanana Gusmao, currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Jakarta jail.
In the morning the ambassadors met students who called for the withdrawal of troops, dialog among Timorese, a referendum for self-determination and access by international human rights groups to the territory.
British Ambassador Robin Christopher spoke to the crowd when the envoys returned to the hotel, urging them to leave peacefully.
"We, the European delegation, have had some very good meetings today. We've heard many free expressions of opinion. It is important that opinions are expressed freely in East Timor," Christopher said.
"Our mission is to listen and to hear voices of East Timor. We are here to support the search for a peaceful solution in East Timor that is acceptable to all parties under the United Nations.
"We will do everything we can to help and to promote peace in East Timor. Please believe that your voices this afternoon have been heard. We will take your messages away with us," he said.
Christopher commended the good discipline of the demonstrators as well as their friendly and peaceful nature.
"We want the future of East Timor to be peaceful. We are anxious to promote dialog which must include the people of East Timor," he said. The crowds then dispersed.
The ambassadors are representing the European Union. Also taking part in the mission are Austrian Ambassador Viktor Segalla and Dutch Ambassador Paul Brouwer.
First visit
This is the first time that any ambassador from the European Union accredited to the Indonesian government had visited the former Portuguese colony. The European Union does not recognize the 1976 integration of East Timor with Indonesia and continues to regard the territory as part of Portugal.
Student sources said the ambassadors had abandoned plans to attend morning mass at Dili's main cathedral, fearing it would provoke further protests after a wave of demonstrations from pro- Indonesia and pro-independence supporters in recent days in Dili.
When asked about the canceled plan, Christopher told reporters: "We decided to go to the Santa Cruz Cemetery instead."
The ambassadors plan to meet legislators from the local legislature before visiting the city of Baucau to the east of Dili on Monday. Student sources say they plan a procession around the capital beginning with a protest at the University of East Timor.
Antara reported that Dili traders closed their shops yesterday in anticipation of trouble following reports that the governor's office was pelted by an unknown group of people the night before.
Public transportation was almost nonexistent and only few taxis ventured to the streets.
Churches, however, held their regular masses.
Security was tight with police and soldiers deployed in strategic locations throughout the provincial capital.
Brig. Gen. William T. Da Costa, the chief of staff of the Udayana Military Regional Command, warned that security forces would not tolerate any brutal acts by protesters, Antara reported.
"We will act according to the procedures. We have safeguarded places that could become targets of their brutality," he said.
There were brief skirmishes Saturday when some 10,000 pro- integration demonstrators were pelted during a convoy across town to make their support for Indonesian known.