Indonesia 'won't leave East Timor in irresponsible way'
JAKARTA (JP): Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said on Sunday the government would not stay long in troubled East Timor if the August popular consultation opts for independence.
Alatas said, however, the government would not leave the province in "an irresponsible way".
"What we're simply saying is that we are not going to pack up in a huff," Alatas told a news conference after meeting top proindependence leaders Jose Alexandre Xanana Gusmao and Ramos- Horta at his office.
"We will attend to whatever issues there are which are related to the separation. That will take a few weeks to a few months perhaps, but don't think in terms of years, because we don't want to stay that long."
In an earlier news conference, Horta said the proindependence faction reiterated to Alatas its "strong desire to collaborate with the Indonesian government and the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) in order to secure peace and stability in the territory ahead of the ballot".
Horta said he was "satisfied with the assurances given by Alatas that the Indonesian government will do their utmost to have a free, democratic and secured environment in the next few weeks so that the vote can take place".
He said the proindependence group would also honor the result of the popular consultation even if it goes for the government- sponsored autonomy plan.
"We will work to persuade our side to accept the people's decision gracefully. Our view is that there should be no loser in whatever the outcome is," Horta said.
He also said he and Xanana had accepted Alatas's explanation that they were barred from returning to East Timor ahead of the ballot for security reasons.
Horta said, however, his return to East Timor would be less significant than that of Xanana as the latter's presence would be "a very moderating influence".
Horta also said the insults he and Alatas traded in the past did not prevent them from having a "cordial and warm" meeting on Sunday, their first to take place in Indonesia.
"We even shared some laughs about some of the statements we made about each other," Horta said. "I always liked him. He was the one who didn't like me."
Attack
While peace marked East Timor talks around the table, violence continued in the field on Sunday when a pro-Jakarta militia group, Besi Merah Putih, reportedly attacked a humanitarian convoy leaving the town of Liquica, some 40 kilometers west of the provincial capital of Dili.
The Dili-based Human Rights and Justice Foundation said in a statement, of which a copy was made available to The Jakarta Post, that some workers were injured in the raid.
The incident prompted UNAMET to announce its intention to pull out all personnel from Liquica, mission spokesman Hiro Ueki told AFP.
Ueki said a UNAMET vehicle was accompanying the convoy when the attack took place and that it had also been targeted.
The attack was the latest in a series targeting UNAMET personnel and outposts in the territory since last week.
UNAMET has been deployed in East Timor ahead of a UN- administered poll scheduled for August to determine the future of the territory.
Earlier on Sunday, Antara reported East Timor Police spokesman Capt. Widodo said a member of a pro-Jakarta militia, Paul da Costa, was killed on Saturday outside Dili.
The police blamed pro-independence Falintil forces for the fatality, according to the news agency.
Alatas said earlier the government "is doing the very best to overcome the last remaining security problem.
"...we will make sure that there is no such thing as harassment to UNAMET or its personnel because there is no reason for us to be in contradiction with or in opposition to UNAMET," said Alatas.(byg)