Howard takes credit for Timor deal

Howard takes credit for Timor deal

JAKARTA (Agencies): Australian Prime Minister John Howard claimed credit for initiating the successful agreement on East Timor between Portugal and Indonesia, AFP reported in Sydney.

"After all it was my letter to (Indonesian president) Dr Habibie in December of last year that was the catalyst for the change in policy by the Indonesian government," he said.

"There is no doubt in the world that the meeting I had with Dr Habibie, which involved a one-and-a-half hour one-on-one personal discussion with nobody else present... received a lot of international focus."

Howard met President B.J. Habibie in Bali on April 27.

Welcoming the signing of the agreement, Howard said the deal included a commitment to ensure that the poll be conducted without intimidation and this, he noted, was a difficult issue.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer urged Indonesia to release East Timor rebel leader Xanana Gusmao before the Aug. 8 autonomy vote, saying his freedom could bring stability to the bloodied territory, Reuters reported.

"The early release of Xanana Gusmao in the light of his key role in the reconciliation process would represent an important step in this direction," Downer said.

"I would have liked to have seen it happen quite some time ago. I think Xanana Gusmao is a very important component of the peace process in East Timor. I don't think you can overestimate his importance," Downer told reporters.

"I think the more you leave him out, the more you weaken the overall credibility of the process," he said.

Downer said Australia did not see a need for peacekeepers, but would like to see a total UN commitment of about 1,000 personnel, including a 200-300 civilian police force.

"You could say we should have 10,000 UN personnel there and a heavily armed peacekeeping force but the Indonesian won't accept that," Downer said.

"We believe a substantial international presence on the ground will be an important confidence building measure, that was the experience in Cambodia...," he said.

Downer said Australia may commit 50 police to the UN operation.

Australian ambassador to Jakarta John McCarthy flew into East Timor on Thursday for meetings and trips to outlying regions ahead of the arrival of the UN civilian police force.

Portuguese leaders lauded the accord as "historic".

It is "a great day," said President Jorge Sampaio after Portugal and Indonesia signed the deal in New York.

"A new phase is beginning just as we always wanted, with the recognition of the right of the East Timorese to self- determination," he said.

Prime Minister Antonio Guterres expressed "intense joy" for the signing, but warned that many obstacles remained.

He said it was the duty of the United Nations and the international community to ensure that Indonesia lived up to the terms of the understanding.

"There are a thousands obstacles and difficulties, many which we can already foresee. But one thing is certain, nothing will make us give up the defense of the rights of the Timorese," the premier said in a statement.

The Philippines welcomed the landmark deal with a government spokesman saying that Manila was likely to be closely involved in the process, AFP reported.

"The Philippines welcomes the agreement between Indonesia and Portugal," President Joseph Estrada's spokesman Fernando Barican told a news conference.

"We fully support the process of finding a durable solution to the East Timor question."

In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said the agreement "spells out the launch of a direct ballot to examine the will of East Timorese people over the autonomy plan."

"The signing thus moves forward the process for a peaceful resolution of the East Timor issue," he said in a statement.

Japan was "proceeding with discussion to promptly implement concrete aid for UN-led preparatory work and other activities" for the ballot on August 8, Komura said.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said "Canada has always advocated the UN-sponsored process as the best means to resolve the East Timor issue."

"We will continue to support East Timor's peaceful transition," the minister added.