Megawati cheers Timor Lorosae's independence

Megawati cheers Timor Lorosae's independence

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Bracing strong opposition from hardliners at home, President
Megawati Soekarnoputri made a brief visit to Timor Lorosae on
Sunday to attend the country's declaration of independence.

The visit, which has drawn strong criticism from politicians
and war veterans in Jakarta, signals a new chapter in relations
between the two countries, which turned sour when thousands of
military-backed militias went on a bloody rampage after the
territory's population overwhelmingly voted to break away in a
United Nations-organized referendum in 1999.

Megawati and her entourage arrived at Comoro Airport at 10
p.m. local time, and were greeted by president-elect Xanana
Gusmao, United Nations Transitional Administration chief Sergio
de Mello, Indonesia's top representative in Timor Lorosae Kristio
Wahyono and UNTAET-appointed foreign minister Ramos Horta.

Her entourage included Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister
for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hassan Wirayuda.

After a brief reception at the airport, Megawati traveled in
the same car with Gusmao to the Seroja Hero's Cemetery, where
some 300 civilian Indonesians and military personnel, killed in
keeping Timor Lorosae's integration in Indonesia, are buried.

Megawati laid flowers on six graves and stayed there for
around ten minutes. She was accompanied by Gusmao. Reporters were
prevented from entering the cemetery, which is located in a Dili
suburb.

Outside the cemetery, two dozen protesters held a candlelight
vigil, demanding Megawati punish those responsible for war
crimes.

"Megawati should not forget the brutality of the Indonesian
soldiers," said protest organizer Tommy Xavier, AP reported.

"They raped our women and made many people disappear."

After visiting the cemetery, Megawati left for Toci Tolo on
the outskirts of Dili to attend Timor Lorosae's declaration of
independence.

Thirty minutes before midnight, Megawati arrived at the venue
accompanied by Gusmao. They held hands and raised them aloft, as
the crowd cheered and clapped.

Megawati's visit was, however, tainted by the presence of six
warships stationed near the Bay of Dili, and one Air Force
Hercules C-130.

A joint task force of 2,000 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel
were deployed to Dili to safeguard Megawati during the historic
visit, a move that drew criticism from Timor Lorosae officials.

Her visit also drew criticism from politicians and war
veterans pending the resolution of certain issues such as
refugees in West Timor and Indonesia's assets in the new nation.

Hundreds of Seroja Operation veterans and widows burnt their
"hero's medals" on Sunday to protest Megawati's attendance in the
independence celebration.

More than 200 war widows and veterans staged a noisy but
peaceful rally at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday, demanding
Megawati cancel her trip to Dili.

The veterans said Megawati's visit to the Indonesian soldiers
cemetery would not quell their anger over the historic trip and
Timor Lorosae's independence.

Sgt. Maj. (ret) Soekoro, who heads a veterans' association,
based in the Seroja military housing complex in East Bekasi, said
the President's visit to the cemetery was merely a "political
move".