RI agrees to vote on E. Timor's future

JAKARTA (JP): In a move Portuguese foreign minister Jaime Gama called "face-saving for everybody", Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas announced in New York on Sunday that Indonesia accepted the idea of a UN-organized "popular consultation" of the East Timorese in voting on the territory's future.

The vote will be held by the end of August after Indonesia and Portugal agree, "by April at the latest", on a package setting out wide-ranging autonomy for the territory as a final solution, AFP reported from UN headquarters.

East Timorese will be asked to vote to accept or reject the package, effectively translating into a choice to remain part of Indonesia or break away.

Alatas said Indonesia wanted all East Timorese -- including 100,000 in exile -- to vote by the end of August, when members of the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly are scheduled to take office after the June general election.

If the East Timorese reject the package, the Assembly, which is the country's highest law-making body, would revoke the 1976 integration decree, and Indonesia and East Timor would "part ways", Alatas said.

In that event, Alatas added, Portugal -- as the troubled territory's administering power -- and the UN would be in charge of its transition to independence.

Armed Forces (ABRI) troops would be withdrawn by that point, he said.

Commenting on the latest policy shift, Gama was quoted as saying: "It's face-saving for everybody... face-saving for Indonesia, for us and for the Timorese."

The talks under the UN auspices are being held in the framework of UN-sponsored autonomy negotiations for East Timor. Previous talks skirted the thorny issue of final status.

It was also reported the Indonesian proposal for UN-organized "ballots" met demands from Lisbon, the former colonial power in the province, that the East Timorese vote in a referendum on their future.

Gama was confident Indonesia knew it would lose the autonomy plebiscite by a "wide margin", and that the independence option would be inevitable.

It was also reported that Gama asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sunday to prepare the UN for the transition period because he expected rejection of the autonomy package.

Gama also said a UN mission in the territory would need civilian, police and security components.

Portugal, other European Union countries and Australia would be prepared to contribute to the UN mission, Gama claimed, without mentioning figures.

Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo H.S. visited the East Timor capital Dili on Monday, accompanied by National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi, chief of the Army Strategic Reserves Command Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, chief of the Army Special Force Maj. Gen. Syahrir MS and others.

They were met at Comoro Airport by local military chief Col. Tono Suratman, Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and chairman of provincial office of Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) Abdullah Sagran.

In an address later at the local Army garrison in Taibesi, Subagyo told his soldiers to protect and love the local people to win them over to the military.

"If we could be polite, friendly and be models for modesty and that if we could protect women as well as not hurt the people... the people will be able to accept us. So, for all the past things we have done, there could have been mistakes, and let us be introspective," he said.

ABRI has 13,000 personnel in the territory of 800,000 people. (33/aan)