Police question Xanana over bomb making

Police question Xanana over bomb making

JAKARTA (JP): Police questioned yesterday jailed East Timorese
separatist leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao over alleged
links with a bomb making operation, his lawyers said.

Four police interrogators and four lawyers representing Xanana
from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association
(PBHI), spent most of yesterday with the jailed rebel at the
Cipinang Prison in East Jakarta.

Police declined to talk to reporters.

Lawyer Luhut Pangaribuan said police questioned Xanana only as
a witness and there was no indication he would face charges. He
said Xanana was in good health and good spirits, and had prepared
snacks and coffee for his interrogators.

Lawyer Hendardi said the questioning was completed yesterday.

Xanana is currently serving a reduced 20-year jail sentence in
Cipinang Prison. He was arrested in Dili, East Timor, in 1992,
after heading the Fretilin separatist movement in its armed
campaign for a separate state.

Recently, the Armed Forces (ABRI) linked Xanana with an East
Timorese group that it said had planned to blow up civilian
targets with homemade bombs in their separatist movement against
the government.

The alleged operation was uncovered after a blast damaged a
house, thought to be a makeshift bomb factory, in Demak, Central
Java, on Sept. 13.

Hendardi quoted Xanana's statement in the official report of
the questioning as follows: "Accusations of terrorism were not
true at all, we never intended to use the bombs to civilian
targets.

"The bombs were made to strengthen our resistance toward the
Armed Forces and I will take full responsibility for their
activities."

Implicated in the case are seven East Timorese who were
arrested recently and Avelino Marie Coelho da Silva and Nuno
Vicente Pereira Saldanha, who are seeking asylum at the Austrian
Embassy in Jakarta.

Avelino and Nuno, who lived in the house in Demak, sought
political asylum with four others six days later at the Austrian
Embassy in Jakarta.

Avelino was accompanied by his wife Sabina, of Kalimantan, and
his two small children, identified as Adel Sea Maria Coelho da
Silva and Didina Maria Coelho da Silva. Another youth following
them to the embassy was identified as Costodio de Yesus Belo.

They remain in the embassy despite demands by the Indonesian
government that Austria hand over the couple so they can face
terrorism charges.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
Indonesia's 27th province in 1976, but the United Nations still
regards Lisbon as the administrative authority of the province.

Xanana's questioning coincided with President Soeharto's
departure yesterday on an overseas trip which incorporates South
Africa where he is scheduled to hold talks with President Nelson
Mandela.

Mandela made a state visit to Indonesia in July and had an
unprecedented meeting with Xanana after gaining President
Soeharto's permission.

Later, Mandela wrote to Soeharto asking that Xanana be
released as part of an attempt to find a peaceful solution to
East Timor's problems.

Indonesia regards Xanana as a criminal and turned down the
request. (10)