Indonesia, East Timor begin bilateral talks
Indonesia, East Timor begin bilateral talks
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Representatives from Indonesia and East Timor will begin high-
level talks in Bali on Monday to discuss the administrative
transition over many leftover problems ahead of the official
declaration of East Timor's full independence on May 20, 2002.
The one-day meeting is expected to mark the end of a bitter
separation process which culminated in September 1999 when almost
80 percent of East Timor's population chose to be independent
during a popular consultation organized by the United Nations.
East Timor, which is currently under the auspices of the
United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor
(UNTAET), is scheduled to have its first presidential election in
April 2002, after last year's general election chose the
representatives for its new legislative body.
Indonesia proposed the bilateral meeting with the aim of
minimizing possible residual problems that could occur after the
transition from UNTAET to the new government.
The Indonesian government continues to limit the discussion
between the two delegations only to administrative issues such as
pension funds, archives, postal services and Indonesia's assets
in East Timor.
The ministry of foreign affairs' Director of International
Organization Marty Natalegawa said recently the delegations would
not discuss the ongoing process of human rights trials.
"On the border issue, we will only discuss the establishment
of the mechanism to determine the border," Marty said.
About the possible entrance of East Timor into the Association
of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia continues to
postpone the issue on grounds that the new country is not fully
independent yet.
"Besides it should be a collective decision by ASEAN members,
we are going to comply with them. And the East Timor state is not
yet an official entity," Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
Wirayuda told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
However, Marty said Indonesia chose to take the lead in the
bilateral talks and initiate the meeting because it was important
to ensure a smooth transition from UNTAET to the East Timor
government to prevent more irritants in the future.
During the bilateral meeting Indonesia and East Timor are also
scheduled to sign an agreement on the postal service.
On Tuesday, there will be a tripartite meeting between
Indonesia, East Timor and Australia. No certain agenda is set for
the meeting, but so far it will likely be dominated by the talks
on the maritime border in the oil-rich Timor Gap area and the
ongoing trial process of human rights abuse cases.