No change in E. Timor policy, says Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie said yesterday there would be no change in the government's policy on East Timor, according to Ambassador-at-large on the East Timor issue F.X. Lopez da Cruz.

"The President gave the message that no matter who the president is, the position of Indonesia on the issue of East Timor remains unchanged," da Cruz said after a meeting with Habibie at Bina Graha presidential office yesterday.

The former Portuguese colony integrated into Indonesia and became its 27th province in 1976. But the United Nations and most nations still view Lisbon as the official administrator of the territory.

Indonesia and Portugal are currently involved in a dialog sponsored by the United Nations to seek a peaceful solution to the East Timor problem.

Commenting on demands from abroad for the release of jailed East Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, da Cruz said Jakarta's position remained as stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

Alatas said last week that Gusmao, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence here for undermining the state and for possessing illegal weapons, was convicted on criminal charges and as such was not eligible for release.

Gusmao was head of the armed wing of the East Timorese pro- independence movement when he was arrested in Dili, East Timor, in 1992.

Habibie has pledged to release political prisoners as part of the government's pledge for political reform. Excluded from the plan, however, are those who were involved in the aborted communist backed coup in 1965, those convicted on criminal charges and those who attempted to replace the state ideology Pancasila.

In Semarang, Minister of Justice Muladi confirmed the plan to release 15 East Timorese students arrested for staging anti- integration demonstrations.

"They will be released within the week," said Muladi in a meeting with an association of East Timorese students, reported Antara. (prb/swe)