Mega told to skip Dili's independence declaration

Mega told to skip Dili's independence declaration

Kurniawan Hari and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three years after the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to free
themselves from Indonesia, the leaders here still appear to be
reluctant to accept the former Portuguese colony's independence.

Akbar Tandjung, the speaker of the House of Representatives
(DPR), one of the country's highest institutions, urged President
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Thursday to skip East Timor's
declaration of independence celebration on May 20, arguing that
some problems related to East Timor's existence remained
unresolved.

"The President should listen to suggestions by the House. It's
better for the President not to attend," Akbar, currently a
defendant in a huge corruption case, said on Thursday.

Chairman of House Commission I Ibrahim Ambong concurred with
Akbar, suggesting that Indonesia should only send ministerial
level officials.

Dozens of heads of state are expected to gather in Dili on May
20 to witness the declaration of East Timor's full independence.
Megawati has been invited by United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and East Timor leaders to attend the ceremony. Foreign
Minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Thursday that President Megawati
had not yet decided whether or not she would accept the
invitation.

He also said that the government would wait for the formal
announcement of the presidential election result, which took
place on Sunday, before it would officially congratulate Xanana
Gusmao's election as East Timor's first president.

East Timor, Indonesia's self-proclaimed 27th province from
1976 to 1999, voted for independence in a United Nations-
organized popular consultation in 1999. Although Indonesia has
formally acknowledged the territory's separation, bitterness at
the loss of East Timor remains high among Indonesians, including
legislators.

Before and after the vote, military-backed militia members
went on bloody rampage, killing perhaps hundreds of East Timorese
and destroying almost 80 percent of the infrastructure. The
terror campaign also was responsible for forcing over 200,000
East Timorese into makeshift refugee camps in West Timor, where
tens of thousands of them are still living in squalid conditions.

Bowing to international pressure, Indonesia is now putting on
trial, or soon will be, a total of 18 mid-level leaders and
military as well as police personnel for the violence.