Reactions on Bishop Belo 'too hasty': Legislator

JAKARTA (JP): An East Timorese legislator has slammed leaders and officials in Jakarta for reacting too hastily to the alleged anti-Indonesian remarks made by Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo which were published in a German magazine.

Armindo Soares Mariano of the Golkar faction at the East Timor provincial legislature told Antara that the government officials, youth leaders and legislators had judged Belo guilty prematurely.

"The magazine could have twisted Belo's statements, or there could be other people using Belo's name to say those things," Armindo said. "There are anti-integrationists who realize that Bishop Belo's name has great potential.

"What if it turns out that the bishop never said those things?" he said.

Alberto M. De Fatima, the chairman of the East Timor branch of Kosgoro, an affiliate of Golkar, said: "Don't be too hasty. We should check and re-check the reports.".

"Those people in the center (Jakarta) should first check with us here in East Timor."

"I believe that, as a religious leader, there's no way Bishop Belo could have said such rude things. He's part of Indonesia, he wouldn't want to destroy his own nation," Fatima said.

Belo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has not commented on his alleged anti-Indonesian remarks published recently by Der Spiegel. In a press communique on Friday in Dili, the capital of East Timor, he said he would not comment on his interview until he had obtained a tape recording of it from the German magazine.

"At this time, when all are venting their anger -- and people have the right to do so -- allow me to remain silent," Belo said in the statement. "Later, at an appropriate time, I will explain all the truth or all the mistakes, after I have obtained the recording of the interview."

Several ministers, representatives of 21 youth organizations affiliated with Golkar and other public figures in Jakarta have lashed out at Belo's reported comments, but even they say they are uncertain whether the bishop had actually made the remarks attributed to him by the magazine.

Belo was quoted by Der Spiegel as saying in an interview published Oct. 14 that Indonesian troops had robbed the freedom of East Timorese and damaged local culture.

He was quoted as saying that Indonesian troops treated the people of East Timor like "scabby dogs" and that Indonesians treated them like slaves.

The bishop also claimed there had been nine attempts to assassinate him, according to the magazine. (swe/14/03)