RI and Portugal agree to reestablish ties

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Portugal agreed to step up bilateral ties leading to the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, which were severed in 1975 following East Timor's integration into Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab and his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama issued a joint press communique in New York on Saturday, after the first high-level talks between the two governments since the recent political change in Indonesia.

"The ministers agreed that it would be of benefit to both sides to intensify their bilateral contacts with a view to a rapid normalization of relations between the Republic of Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic, including the re- establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level," the joint statement, which was made available to The Jakarta Post, said.

Gama told reporters after the meeting the two countries would likely resume diplomatic ties before the end of the year, Antara reported.

He said his government had decided to appoint Ana Gomes, currently the Portuguese envoy in Jakarta, to become the country's ambassador to Indonesia.

Indonesia and Portugal broke off ties after East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, was integrated into Indonesia in 1975, shortly after Portugal had left the territory.

Indonesia agreed to a United Nations-sponsored ballot on Aug. 30, in which the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence from Jakarta.

The joint statement said East Timor was the subject of an "intense and fruitful exchange" between the two ministers, who discussed the "humanitarian aspects of the situation, namely internally displaced persons and refugees".

Over 260,000 East Timorese fled into East Nusa Tenggara from their homeland after the August ballot, which was followed by rampaging violence.

In a related development, four out of more than 350 East Timorese who have been sheltering at an orphanage in South Sulawesi's capital of Makassar have died.

Nuraeni Achmad, the director of Kasih Ibu orphanage, said on Saturday that the four people -- Jalaludin, 6, Yusuf, 50, Masito, 60, and Adam, 75 -- died on Nov. 8, Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 respectively.

Jalaludin had suffered from serious diarrhea while the other three died of lung disease.

The refugees, who arrived on Oct. 9 from Atambua, are all East Timorese Muslims. Sixty of the refugees are toddlers.

Nuraeni said the orphanage lacked funds to provide medicines.

"Rp 1,500 per day for each refugee from the former ministry of social affairs was too little. We have no money to help the refugees," she said, adding that more refugees might die soon.

Besides food and medicines, the refugees are also in need of clothing, Nuraeni said.

"We hope for milk and food, because most of the children are suffering from malnutrition," Nuraeni said.

Reliable sources said that the provincial administration had yet to provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees. (27/rms/sur)