Indonesia downplays Soeharto-Guterres meeting
Indonesia downplays Soeharto-Guterres meeting
BANGKOK (JP): President Soeharto and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres met briefly on Thursday night, marking the first time that leaders of the two countries met since diplomatic ties were broken off in 1976 over the East Timor question.
But as Guterres made the most of the media publicity from the meeting, the Indonesian camp downplayed some of the claims that the Portuguese prime minister was making.
The 15-minute meeting took place after an informal dinner hosted by Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa on the eve of Asia-Europe Meeting bringing in 25 leaders from the two regions.
Guterres told reporters after the meeting that he had suggested the possibility of re-establishing diplomatic ties but insisted that Indonesia must first release jailed Timorese separatist leader Xanana Gusmao and his followers.
"Portugal would except the opening of a section of interest of Indonesia in the embassy of a friendly country in Lisbon and we would be ready to open our own section of interest in Jakarta," he revealed.
He said the proposal would only be possible "if the Indonesians firstly accept to free Xanana Gusmao, the leader of the resistance, and his followers. And secondly, to give guarantees for the respect of human rights in East Timor, guarantees to be followed up on by the United Nations."
Guterres said he was satisfied with the brief meeting, saying that the proposal, while not accepted, wasn't rejected either by Soeharto.
"As far as I can expect from the reaction we had, there is at least an open mind from the Indonesian side to start a discussion about it," he said.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said separately that Lisbon's idea to open interest sections in each other's capitals was not a new.
The idea was discussed a few years ago in one of the rounds of talks Indonesia and Portugal held under the auspices of UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Alatas said. "So it's not their proposal."
The tripartite meeting is aimed at finding a solution to the status of East Timor. While Indonesia has claimed that the majority of East Timorese agreed to be integrated into Indonesia, the United Nations still regards Lisbon as the administrative power there.
Alatas pointed out that it was Portugal who had rejected the idea for the resumption of diplomatic ties while Indonesia had endorsed it as a confidence building measure.
The idea was once again raised at the last rounds of talks in London in January, Alatas said, referring to the meeting he held with his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama.
On Xanana's release, Alatas said the separatist leader was a convicted felon who is serving time in jail. "Why should we? He is a criminal. He killed many people and burnt down many villages"
He questioned Portuguese sudden move to demand Xanana's release as a condition for the limited resumption of ties.
Alatas added that Lisbon's offer would be discussed at the next round of tripartite meeting in June.
Guterres said Soeharto had told him that Alatas had been instructed to follow up on the proposal.
On the prospects of a solution to the East Timor question in light of the Portuguese proposal, Alatas was cool saying that the fundamental problem still lies with Portugal and that there was actually no new initiative if Lisbon remained stubborn in its position.
"The meeting between Soeharto and Guterres itself is something new. But the substance of the meeting itself is not, as Portugal did not abandon its insistence on self-determination for East Timor," he said.
Guterres during his announcement yesterday specifically underlined that Portugal had not abandoned the position that East Timor should be given the right of self-determination. (rid/mds)
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