RI defends military in E. Timor
RI defends military in E. Timor
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas yesterday
explained the presence of Indonesian troops in East Timor to a
group of Japanese legislators who have been critical of
Indonesia's policy in the former Portuguese colony.
Alatas said that the Armed Forces has withdrawn all its combat
units from East Timor and that only territorial battalions
remain.
He added that the question of the presence of the Indonesian
military was raised constantly during the meeting.
"The problem is their lack of knowledge about the distinction
between territorial and combat forces," Alatas said. "What is
left of the military are the territorial battalions."
Five legislators -- Liberal Democrat Kouki Chuma, Social
Democrats Tomiko Okazaki, Seiichi Kaneta and Yasuko Takemura and
Banri Kaieda of the Japan New Party -- arrived in Jakarta on
Tuesday with an entourage that included Japanese journalists and
translators.
They left for Denpasar, Bali, yesterday to meet with Chief of
the Udayana Military Command Maj. Gen. Adang Ruchiatna
Puradiredja whose jurisdiction includes East Timor. They will
later proceed to Dili, East Timor.
The Japanese legislators said after meeting with Alatas that
they had expressed concern over the presence of the Indonesian
military in East Timor.
"We think the military should be removed from East Timor as
soon as possible," Okazaki said, adding that the presence of the
military is "not good for the local population."
In Dili, Chief of East Timor's Wira Dharma 164 Regiment
Command Col. Johny Lumintang was quoted by the Antara news agency
as saying that the province is open to all visitors, including
foreigners.
"Everyone is welcome in East Timor as long as they come with
good intentions. We are not afraid of them and we have never
rejected them," he said.
Besides the Japanese delegation, the province will also
receive a group of parliamentary members from Germany.
Alatas said there was a clear policy to gradually pull combat
troops out of East Timor as stability within the province
increases.
Indonesian combat troops started withdrawing from East Timor
in April last year. Since then, all the military functions
previously handled by the special military command have been
transferred to the Wira Dharma 164 Regiment Command, making the
security administration in East Timor the same as it is in the 26
other Indonesian provinces.
Alatas chronicled the history and process of East Timor's
decolonization in 1975-1976 for the visiting Japanese. "I
stressed that it has been almost 20 years since the
decolonization took place, so many people do not know exactly
what happened, or may have forgotten, or may have intentionally
forgotten the incidents then, in order to make their own version
of it," he said.
Good opportunities
Alatas called such visits and discussions good opportunities
to present Indonesia's side of the story especially since the
Japanese legislators have been critical of Indonesia.
"I have given a description of the situation which will at
least balance the information I know they have obtained from
Indonesia's opponents," he said.
Alatas acknowledged that many cynical visitors to East Timor
had second thoughts after visiting the province and talking with
Indonesian officials.
The critics may not change their minds 100 percent overnight
but at least they obtain a more balanced view of the situation,
he said.
Aside from meeting with the Japanese legislators, Maj. Gen.
Adang yesterday also met with U.S. ambassador Robert L. Barry in
Denpasar, the Antara news agency reported.
The visit, which is scheduled until Monday, is part of
Ambassador Barry's trip to eastern Indonesia, and will include
stops in Ambon, Irian Jaya and East Timor. (pwn)