RI to push for East Timor assets
RI to push for East Timor assets
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia will continue to seek a settlement of its assets in
East Timor despite its foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta's call
to drop the subject, Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda
said on Thursday.
"The government is still in the process of assessing the
country's assets in its former territory and will seek a solution
to the matter as soon as it has held bilateral talks with East
Timor," Hassan said after attending the Cabinet meeting.
In response to Horta's comment, Hassan said it was a "one-
sided opinion" and Indonesia thus far had no plan to relinquish
its assets there.
In Dili on Wednesday, Horta said it would be better if
Indonesia no longer fussed about claiming assets there, as East
Timor had lost much more during Indonesia's hostile pullout in
1999.
Thousands of buildings and homes were burned down in the tiny
territory after East Timor voted to disintegrate from Indonesia
in a UN-organized ballot; thus both sides should take the "zero
sum" approach, Horta said as reported by Agence France-Presse.
"That is their opinion. There are several categories (of
asset) that need to be settled -- the government's assets, state
enterprises, plus those of (Indonesian) private companies as well
as individuals. We will discuss this as soon as we have the
chance to hold a dialog with East Timor," Hassan told reporters.
Hassan acknowledged, however, that the matter had not yet been
discussed thoroughly in the past two years, and Indonesia had yet
to complete its assessment.
Prior to agreeing to attend East Timor's independence
celebration, the government raised the matter of settling the
Indonesian assets that remained there and of making arrangements
at the Seroja Heroes' Cemetery as the highlight of President
Megawati Soekarnoputri's visit, to tone down domestic resentment
over the trip.
Legislators at the House are now seeking ways to summon
President Megawati for an explanation over her much-disputed
visit, although Indonesia had already acknowledged East Timor's
independence through the People's Consultative Assembly Decree
No. 5/1999.
The visit of East Timor's president Xanana Gusmao was
postponed for the time being by Indonesia, reportedly for
scheduling and preparation reasons, on the same day that 30
legislators from seven House factions signed a decree to summon
Megawati.
Around 2,000 people were killed during East Timor's 24-year
integration with Indonesia, while more than 80 percent of the
infrastructure was allegedly destroyed by prointegration militias
who ran amok after being defeated in the ballot.