Government satisfied with recent East Timor dialog

Government satisfied with recent East Timor dialog

JAKARTA (JP): Foreign Minister Ali Alatas gave a thumbs-up yesterday to the results of the All-Inclusive Intra-East Timor Dialog in Austria.

"I think the results are quite good," Alatas told journalists.

He expressed satisfaction that unlike at the inaugural talks last year, the results and discussion at this year's meeting remained within the parameters set by the United Nations along with the Indonesian and Portuguese government.

"I feel the outcome is much better this time around," Alatas remarked.

The talks were held in Burg Schlaining, Austria, from March 19th to 22nd. It brought together Timorese from both sides of the integration debate for the second time since East Timor was plunged into civil war in the mid-1970s.

Twenty-eight Timorese from Indonesia and abroad attended the talks which aimed at reconciliation and boosting confidence among Timor and creating a conducive atmosphere for the tripartite talks between Jakarta and Lisbon under the aegis of the UN.

During the fifth tripartite talks in January 1995, it was agreed that such talks be established.

However the talks were to avoid discussing political matters or becoming a second track to the negotiations between Jakarta and Lisbon to find an internationally acceptable solution to the East Timorese situation.

Insertion

At the end of the first talks last year, separatist leaders sneakily inserted UN Resolution 37/30 in the final declaration, which is not the basis of the tripartite talks and bears reference to East Timorese self-determination.

This year the seven point Burg Schlaining Declaration 1996 focuses more on human resources and the development of the East Timorese.

"I believe it focuses on more practical matters such as culture," Alatas said referring to the call for the establishment of an East Timorese cultural center in Dili.

The cultural center proposed at the talks would be aimed at undertaking research into culture, such as customs, traditions and languages which includes both Tetum and Portuguese. (mds)