Megawati pressured over E. Timor visit

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is now under pressure from both sides as to whether or not she should go to East Timor to attend the official independence declaration of the former 27th province of Indonesia.

East Timor president-elect Xanana Gusmao is planning to visit Jakarta to personally hand over the invitation to Megawati, increasing international pressure on her to attend Gusmao's swearing in ceremony as East Timor's first president on May 20.

East Timor, which for more than two decades was a province of Indonesia, is preparing for the presidential inauguration and declaration of independence as the UN Transitional Administration's mission in East Timor will end in May.

Dozens of heads of state are expected to gather in Dili to witness the declaration of East Timor's full independence.

Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan had already sent an invitation to Megawati to attend the independence celebrations.

Meanwhile, an East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) legislator urged President Megawati to attend East Timor's independence celebrations to lay down strong foundations for bilateral ties between the two countries.

Mell Adoe, a member of NTT Legislative Council, stressed that East Timor had become an independent state which Indonesia recognizes.

"Indonesia should show the world that Indonesia is a democratic country and respects the rights of the East Timorese people for independence and to form an independent state," Mell was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday.

Indonesia's NTT province shares borders with East Timor.

However, the country's politicians have expressed vehement objections to Megawati's visit to East Timor, arguing that the timing was not right for her to go to the former Portuguese colony.

On Monday, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais joined the opposition, saying that Indonesia should keep its dignity and position in Southeast Asia.

"It is better not to go there. It does not necessarily mean that we consider East Timor as an enemy," Amien said here on Monday.

"East Timor's secession took place amid misunderstanding and violence. The secession has brought some problems, including refugees," he added.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung last week urged the President to skip East Timor's declaration of independence.

Chairman of House Commission for foreign affairs Ibrahim Ambong had also said that Indonesia should only send a ministerial level official.

Both emphasized that the secession of East Timor from Indonesia had left unsolved problems of refugees and human rights abuses.

Vice President Hamzah Haz confirmed on Sunday that the decision as to whether or not the President would attend the celebration would be made next week.

Despite the fact that East Timor will soon to be an independent country, some Indonesian leaders still show an unwillingness to release the former territory.

The unwillingness had been shown when pro-Jakarta militias with the backing of military officers launched a bloody rampage in the territory of about 700,000 people after they voted to break away from Indonesia in a United Nations-sponsored referendum.

The militias destroyed almost 80 percent of local infrastructure and forced over 200,000 East Timorese to flee to West Timor.

East Timor's independence has also been a bitter pill for the Indonesia Military as a total of 18 mid-level civilian and military leaders as well as police personnel are on trial for the violence.