No change in E. Timor policy, says Habibie

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)