Mixed reactions greet new stance on E. Timor

JAKARTA (JP): The bombshell announcement that Indonesia is willing to grant independence to East Timor in 2000 has drawn reaction from both home and abroad, while fears of further unrest in the province have escalated.

Nugroho Wisnumurti, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in New York on Friday that the offer was a scenario rather than a policy and described it as a "second option".

"Greater autonomy for East Timor is the best choice at present and we will push for a final solution involving this.

"However, if it is rejected, we must have a second option," Nugroho was quoted by Antara as saying after a meeting at the UN headquarters with his Portuguese counterparts and the UN special envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker.

Despite the new developments, Marker said the UN-sponsored tripartite talks on East Timor would continue to focus on special autonomy for the province.

"What we are going to do is concentrate on the UN's proposal on broad autonomy for East Timor," Marker said.

He said the Indonesian government had been discussing a possible scenario and not announcing a categorical shift in policy.

Indonesia has insisted that any solution involving greater autonomy for the troubled province must be final, despite widespread support for a settlement involving autonomy and a referendum on the future of the province between five and 10 years later.

Indonesia has argued that a referendum would trigger a civil war in the province.

Nugroho said the government had no intention of abandoning East Timor in the way Portugal abandoned 23 years ago, leaving factions of armed civilians fighting each another.

Violence

However, on Friday, a Catholic priest in Suai, 300 kilometers south of Dili, told The Jakarta Post that there were signs of impending unrest in the province.

Francisco Soares said that a paramilitary group who were trained and armed by the Indonesian Armed Forces have been terrorizing villagers in Ainaro regency.

Five thousand people have fled their homes and are currently sheltering in a church.

Francisco said that six people -- including a pregnant woman -- had been shot dead by the paramilitary gang, who were using weapons provided by the military.

He said the deaths reportedly occurred in the subdistrict of Zumalai.

The head of the East Timor Military Command, Col. Tono Suratman, was not available to confirm the reports.

Francisco said that officials from Covalima regency and members of the Armed Forces -- including Col. Suratman himself -- had been unable to ease the tension.

In Dili, around 20 youths favoring a referendum goaded participants at a seminar organized by pro-integration activists. The seminar, which was attended by Col. Suratman, passed without further incident.

Comments

Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo called for local leaders to travel to Jakarta to seek clarification of the latest developments and relay their findings to the people. That, he said, would help to avoid the spread of panic.

"I must say that Indonesian politicians finally appear to understand that there are problems in East Timor and they need a solution. But the solution must be arrived at through intensive negotiation and dialog," Antara quoted him as saying in Dili.

Belo said that broad autonomy remained the best solution for the province, but added that the East Timorese should be given the final say on their status through a referendum held after 10 to 15 years of autonomy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas has said that such an arrangement would be too costly for Indonesia.

The coordinator of the National Movement for Justice and Unity (GKPB), Siswono Yudohusodo, and Gadjah Mada University sociology professor Lukman Soetrisno separately criticized the government's recent announcement on East Timor and described it as unwise.

"The government's recent proposal has not come at the right time...East Timor is an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia," Siswono said.

The offer of broader autonomy should serve the same purpose, he added.

"Morally, Indonesia is responsible for preventing the citizens of an independent East Timor from fighting one another," Lukman said, adding that broad autonomy followed by a referendum at a later date would be the best settlement for the province. (01/ivy/aan/33)