Mandela says East Timor should be given autonomy

Mandela says East Timor should be given autonomy

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Agencies): South African President Nelson Mandela said yesterday the former Portuguese colony of East Timor should be awarded autonomy from Indonesia to end conflict over the territory.

"As you know I went to Indonesia and I had discussions with President Soeharto on the situation in East Timor," Mandela said.

"And the basis of my representations to President Soeharto was that autonomy should be given to the people of East Timor," he told a news conference after meeting with Nobel Peace Prize winner East Timor Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo.

Mandela, stretching his peacemaking efforts around the globe in his last years in active politics, met jailed East Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao on a visit to Indonesia in July and discussed his case with Soeharto, who is also due to visit South Africa in November.

Xanana is currently serving a reduced 20-year jail sentence in Jakarta.

Portugal abandoned its former Asian colony in 1974.

Indonesia integrated East Timor as the 27th province in 1976. But the United Nations still regards Lisbon as the administrative authority there.

Mandela said met Belo to brief him on the meetings he had had with other leaders in his efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution.

Mandela however would not elaborate on the discussion since success depended on confidentiality.

Belo also declined to go into detail of his talks with Mandela except to express his satisfaction with developments.

"I have nothing to add to what the president said because I fully agree with what his excellency says," Belo said. "We will try to achieve peace on the ground among East Timorese people and East Timorese leaders."

Mandela also made it clear that he was merely trying to assist UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in peace efforts, and that peace in East Timor ultimately depended on the people and leaders of the region.

"A solution in East Timor is not something that can be achieved by people outside East Timor. The leaders of East Timor and the Indonesian government are the people who are going to solve this matter," Mandela said.

Mandela has also held talks in South Africa on the issue with East Timor separatist leader Jose Ramos Horta and Portugal's President Jorge Sampaio.

When asked, the South African president denied media reports that quoted him recently as having invited the Indonesian government and East Timorese separatist leaders to negotiations.

"There is absolutely nothing of the sort; I have never done so because this is an affair that is being handled by tripartite negotiations involving the United Nations, Portugal and the Indonesian government," he said.