Megawati pressured over E. Timor visit
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.