Habibie plans another meeting with Bishop Belo, Yunus says
Habibie plans another meeting with Bishop Belo, Yunus says
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie told his Cabinet
ministers on Wednesday that he planned to have another meeting
with Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo as part of his
prosperity and cultural approach to the province.
Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus, whose wife
Antonia Ricardo is an East Timor native, said that the President
ordered his Cabinet ministers to review the progress made toward
a solution to the question of East Timor during the last six
months.
"After that the President (plans) to meet again with Bishop
Belo," Yunus said after attending a six-hour Cabinet meeting on
political affairs and security at the Bina Graha presidential
office.
Just one month after replacing president Soeharto in May,
Habibie invited Belo to Bina Graha for a meeting.
Habibie promised to grant wide-ranging autonomy for East
Timor, which was integrated into Indonesia in 1976. The United
Nations does not recognize Jakarta's rule and still regards
Portugal as the administrative power of its former colony.
Habibie also promised to gradually withdraw the military from
the tiny province of 800,000.
At that time, Belo told journalists that Habibie was shocked
by his reports of the poor protection of human rights in the
province, including the restriction on travel from one village to
another.
"Even Rome or Jakarta was not built in one night. It needs
time, patience and cooperation. What is important is strong
goodwill," the 1996 Nobel Peace co-laureate said in praise of
Habibie's strong will to settle the problems in East Timor after
their last meeting.
People in East Timor, including pro-independence groups,
acknowledged that the military had become less repressive in the
last six months.
The President, however, consistently ruled out granting
independence to the province, saying that East Timor actually
needs Indonesia more than Indonesia needs East Timor.
The President assured visiting United Nations Special Envoy
for East Timor Jamsheed Marker on Tuesday that he was sincere and
serious in seeking an internationally accepted settlement for
East Timor.
Marker left Jakarta on Wednesday after having a series of
meetings with top ministers and jailed East Timorese rebel leader
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao. Marker urged the government to
release Xanana as part of the comprehensive solution for the
province.
Marker's visit to Dili last week was marred by noisy
demonstrations and some student protesters who allegedly tried to
take Marker hostage. (prb)