Military operation in East Timor continues: Xanana

JAKARTA (JP): Jailed rebel East Timorese leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao has accused the Armed Forces (ABRI) of continuing military operations in East Timor, leading opposition leader Amien Rais said on Friday.

"Xanana said he continues to receive reports from his subordinates that military operations have not ceased," Amien told reporters after meeting the rebel leader at the Cipinang prison in East Jakarta.

Amien, who said his 15-minute meeting with Xanana was for "humanitarian reasons," quoted him as saying that military operations in the former Portuguese colony should stop to give peace a chance.

"Xanana proposes that talks on East Timor at the international level be allowed to proceed calmly in order to achieve results, and should not be disturbed by military operations," Amien said.

His visit came a day after the mayor of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, Jose Antonio dos Soares, paid Xanana a visit at the jail, where the rebel leader is serving a 20-year jail term for illegal possession of weapons and subversion.

ABRI has launched a manhunt for a group of rebels who allegedly attacked a military post in East Timor on Nov. 9 and killed three soldiers while abducting 13 others.

Eleven of the soldiers have since been freed or escaped, leaving two others in the hands of their captors.

Amien also quoted Xanana as saying the East Timorese people who agreed with his demand for a referendum on self-determination "do not want to take advantage of the situation currently developing in Indonesia."

Amien, who heads the new National Mandate Party, agreed a transitional period was necessary to enable the East Timorese to prepare themselves for the polling and to ensure the results are "respected."

AFP reported Friday that diplomatic sources at the United Nations said on Thursday the UN was pushing for Xanana's release, believing his presence at peace talks would help bring about a resolution of the East Timor problem.

Indonesia and Portugal are due to respond to UN autonomy proposals for East Timor, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard was quoted by the news agency as saying Wednesday.

The UN proposals reportedly include plans for elections of an autonomous government as a first step toward self-determination.

Indonesia and Portugal have agreed to leave aside East Timor's final status at this stage to the frustration of East Timorese resistance groups pressing for a referendum on self- determination.

The UN-sponsored talks are to resume Thursday for at least four days at UN headquarters in New York. The talks, which have been held regularly since 1983, have gained momentum since the resignation of president Soeharto in May.

The United Nations continues to regard Lisbon as the official administrator of East Timor. (byg)