Milita leader, Xanana agree to end hostility

Milita leader, Xanana agree to end hostility

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

East Timor's charismatic leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao
and former pro-Jakarta militia leader Joao Tavares agreed on
Tuesday to end their hostility and to work together for peace in
East Timor through reconciliation.

Xanana and Tavares reached the agreement in a closed-door
meeting in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

Xanana arrived here on Monday for a three-day visit with his
main mission being reconciliation with East Timorese refugees and
pro-Jakarta East Timor leaders in the province. He was
accompanied by his wife, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, and son, Alexandre
Sword Gusmao, during his visit.

Xanana said that his meeting with Tavares was part of a
reconciliation effort to achieve a holistic repatriation. "I and
Tavares talked about reconciliation. I also underlined that
reconciliation would only work if there was a legal system. And
Tavares agreed with this idea," he said.

Tavares concurred, saying that he and Xanana had agreed not to
sow the seeds of warfare and hatred in the children of East
Timor. "Hostility and strife will not end if there is no
reconciliation," he said.

"I and Xanana talked about how to bring peace to East Timor.
We also agreed to end our conflict."

They agreed to support the process of repatriation of the East
Timorese refugees now living in camps in West Timor in
Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province.

Xanana said that he hoped that his visit would encourage
refugees to return to their villages in Timor Lorosae (East
Timor), especially after the establishment of a reconciliation
commission.

"We hope that refugees returning to their villages can live in
peace together with their brothers under the supervision of the
commission, even though they previously had different political
views," he added.

On his talks with Archbishop Mgr. Petrus Turang Pr., Xanana
said that he expressed his gratitude to the bishop for the
service he had done for the East Timor refugees living in East
Nusa Tenggara province.

"I personally ask the Kupang bishop to pray for us, the East
Timorese people, so that we can live in and enjoy peace. I also
appeal to the bishop to help facilitate the repatriation
process," Xanana said.

Bishop Mgr. Petrus Turang said the Kupang diocese fully
supported the efforts to create peace in East Timor.

"I pray for true and lasting peace for the people of East
Timor" he said.

Meanwhile, Nani Kosapilawan, spokesman for the East Nusa
Tenggara provincial administration, said the passenger ship
Patricia Anne Hotung belonging to the UN Transitional
Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) would arrive in the city on
Wednesday to transport more than 100 East Timorese families back
home.

"Governor Piet A. Tallo has ordered officials of the relevant
agencies to accompany the refugees to board the ship on
Wednesday," he said at his office on Tuesday.

He said the 100 families had decided to go back home after
being influenced by Xanana's visit to their camps in the
province.

Nani hailed Xanana's peace mission at this time of year, just
before Christmas and New Year.

"Many East Timorese refugees were impressed by Xanana's good
intentions to create peace in East Timor," he said, adding that
many local people came out in the city to greet Xanana and his
family on Monday and Tuesday.

He said a majority of more than 143,000 East Timorese refugees
were expected to follow suit and return after Xanana's
reconciliatory visit, which was aimed at persuading them to
return to their home land.