RI among the first to host E. Timor embassy
RI among the first to host E. Timor embassy
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia is among the first countries the newly established
state of East Timor plans to establish diplomatic ties with,
underlining the desire for a peaceful coexistence between the two
neighbors.
"This proves that Indonesia is one of the most important
countries for East Timor," Francisco Cepeda, an official with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the East Timor Public
Administration (EPTA), was quoted by Antara as saying on Friday.
East Timor's other top priorities in opening embassies
overseas will be the United States, Portugal, Australia and the
European Union.
Cepeda made his statement while discussing the election of
Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao as the first president of East
Timor and the ongoing preparations for the former Portuguese
colony to become a new country on May 20.
East Timor was part of Indonesia until it voted for
independence on Aug. 30, 1999.
Despite the stated desire to build harmonious relations,
history could cast a shadow over future ties between East Timor
and Indonesia. East Timorese independence strugglers waged over
two decades of guerrilla war against Indonesian rule, and East
Timor president-elect Xanana Gusmao served a seven-year jail term
in Jakarta before being released prior to the UN-sanctioned self-
determination ballot.
Indonesia has welcomed the announced plan to open an embassy
in Indonesia. Khalid Akbar, Indonesia's representative in East
Timor, said the decision clearly showed that Indonesia possessed
an important diplomatic and political position in the eyes of the
East Timor administration.
Meanwhile, observers urged President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
accept an invitation by the UN and EPTA to attend East Timor's
independence declaration on May 20.
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a senior researcher at the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences, said Megawati's presence at the ceremony
would help Indonesia win over the international community.
"(Through the visit) the international community would
perceive Indonesia as a big nation which recognizes the
sovereignty of East Timor," Dewi, a former adviser to former
president B.J. Habibie, told The Jakarta Post.
It was Habibie who agreed to allow the people of East Timor to
choose whether to remain a part of Indonesia or become
independent. The decision to allow the self-determination vote
sparked anger among Indonesians, particularly nationalists and
the military.
Separately, Bantarto Bandoro of the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies said Megawati's presence at East Timor's
declaration of independence would lay a solid foundation for
future bilateral ties between the two neighbors.