Horta's chances

Horta's chances

There appear to be obstacles to Ramos Horta's ambition to take
part in the talks on East Timor scheduled for May. Foreign
Minister Ali Alatas has made it clear that there is no chance of
Horta being involved in the discussions as long as he is against
to the framework accepted by Indonesia.

One of the cornerstones of that framework is that the
political status of East Timor will not be discussed, which is in
accordance to the "Spirit of London" idea agreed upon by the
three parties on Jan.9. The accord states the dialog will be
continued and expanded, but it will be concerned only with
reconciliation and the development of East Timor.

Given that reality, Indonesia's position is very strong. That
means that East Timor being an integral part of Indonesia will
not be discussed. What needs to be noted is that the people of
East Timor comprise the majority of the territory's population
and not just a handful of people who profess to represent them.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta