Hardiyanti urges Timorese to unite

Hardiyanti urges Timorese to unite

JAKARTA (JP): The 24 Portuguese citizens of East Timor origin
ended their one-month visit here with a call for all East
Timorese at home and abroad to settle their differences and join
hands to rebuild Indonesia's youngest province.

"Let's bury the hatchet and look to a future that is full of
unity," said Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the head of the Portugal-
Indonesia Friendship Association, who is sponsoring the visit.

"We hope that their trip here was constructive for the East
Timorese people," she said.

The Portuguese citizens arrived here last month as part of a
family reunion visit agreed upon at the London talks between East
Timorese living abroad and Indonesia.

They visited Yogyakarta, Bali and East Timor, where they
celebrated Easter with their relatives. They also met with
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas in Jakarta.

Many of them seemed deeply impressed with developments that
have taken place since East Timor integrated with Indonesia in
1976.

"Many of my friends (in East Timor) don't agree with this
trip, but I believe I'd still rather be stuck in a rain of rocks
in my homeland than a shower of gold in somebody else's country,"
said Pedro Barros, who left his home over 30 years ago.

A farewell luncheon was held in their honor on Monday before
their flight home to Portugal.

Among those attending were former speaker of the House of
Representatives Kharis Suhud, Indonesia's Ambassador for East
Timor affairs Lopez da Cruz and Indonesian ambassador to the
Netherlands Soedarmanto Kadarisman. (07)