Prointegration civilian militia rally in E. Timor
Prointegration civilian militia rally in E. Timor
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of prointegration civilian militia
members rallied in the East Timor town of Maliana on Thursday,
claiming they were ready to die for Indonesia's sovereignty over
the province, while the government announced here it had asked
the United Nations (UN) to delay next week's negotiations with
Portugal.
The leader of prointegration Halilintar (Lightning) group,
Joao da Silva Tavares, said at least 13 militia groups were ready
to meet the offer of war issued recently by jailed East Timorese
separatist leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao.
"If Xanana is no longer able to seek a reconciliation through
peaceful means and if he wants a war, then we are ready to face
him," Tavares said.
Xanana and Tavares warmly embraced each other last month in
Jakarta after discussing peaceful solutions to the East Timor
problem, including possible independence for the tiny territory.
Xanana, who chairs the National Resistance Council for an
Independent East Timor (CNRT), threatened on Tuesday to order war
against pro-Indonesian groups. He later softened his stance
through his lawyer Johnson Panjaitan.
"Xanana was probably stressed out (when he made the
declaration). However, if Xanana really wants a war it means he
is against the Indonesian people," said Tavares in Maliana, 140
kilometers west of the East Timor capital Dili.
In Jakarta, Panjaitan played down Xanana's threat, saying his
client's statement was influenced by the spiraling violence in
the territory.
"The statement was issued by the CNRT leader as a reaction
against an intensifying war climate there, especially during the
last two months," the lawyer said in a statement.
Separately, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung said the government would take
severe measures as a result of Xanana's threat. He said Xanana
might be sent to the notorious maximum security prison on Nusa
Kambangan island, Central Java.
On Thursday, Minister of Justice Muladi sought a reason behind
Xanana's threat, saying that as a convict he was in an unstable
psychological condition.
"To gauge the seriousness of his call to arms, he should be
approached for a more thorough investigation," he said.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo
urged the Armed Forces (ABRI) and all conflicting parties to work
together in finding an amiable solution to prevent the deaths of
more innocent people as had happened on Monday in Liquica.
The bishop alleged on Wednesday that at least 25
proindependence residents were massacred by pro-Indonesian
militia near a Catholic church in the regency, which is 28
kilometers west of Dili.
ABRI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said there were only
five casualties.
"At least up until this evening Pak Tono (East Timor Military
Commander Col. Tono Suratman) did not deny the bishop's claim," a
journalist from Suara Timor Timur said on Thursday.
Catholic priest Rafael dos Santos who witnessed the Liquica
incident, confirmed seven people were murdered. But he spoke of
other witnesses' reports that there were other victims, whose
bodies were taken away in trucks to unknown destinations.
"I myself saw seven dead people. However, when we went out to
report the incident to a nearby military command a more brutal
and sadistic butchering occurred again."
Separately, Director of Foreign Information at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Sulaiman Abdulmanan, said his ministry had
officially informed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the
government was not able to finish its autonomy proposal draft for
East Timor and had asked for a week's postponement.
The draft is expected to be discussed by Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ali Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama in
New York under the auspices of Annan on April 20 and April 21.
"It is for technical reasons. We need more time to prepare it
properly," Sulaiman said on Thursday. (33/prb)