RI wins another diplomatic battle over East Timor
RI wins another diplomatic battle over East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): The ongoing United Nations General Assembly has
decided once again to defer a debate on East Timor to give a
chance to Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to find a
solution to the conflict between Indonesia and Portugal.
This is the 12th consecutive year that the debate on East
Timor has been deferred, marking a diplomatic victory for
Indonesia, which has been lobbying to strike the issue out of the
UN agenda.
The decision was discussed and warmly welcomed by the monthly
meeting on political and security affairs, which was attended
here yesterday by Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
Security Soesilo Soedarman, Minister of Information Harmoko and
the Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat.
The UN general committee whose task is to set the agenda for
the 49th General Assembly session, on Sept. 21 unanimously agreed
to postpone debate of issue Number 86 on the Question of East
Timor until the UN's 50th session next year.
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
Indonesia's 27th province in 1976. Despite the formal integration
as Indonesia's youngest province, a number of countries led by
Portugal continue to clamor over the matter in international
forums.
The postponement, at the suggestion of France and seconded by
Tunisia, was based on the report by the secretary general, which
indicated improvement in the dialog between Indonesia and
Portugal.
The bilateral talks have now reached their fourth phase. The
last meeting in Geneva in May adopted yet more confidence
building measures to facilitate a trusting atmosphere between the
two sides. The next meeting is scheduled for January 1995 in New
York.
Incidents
In Dili, Regional Military Commander Col. Kiki Syahnakri
acknowledged reports that security forces had recently been
involved in armed conflicts with Fretilin separatist guerrillas.
Syahnakri denied reports that up to four Indonesian security
personnel had been killed in the incidents.
The director of foreign information at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Irawan Abidin yesterday confirmed that two minor
"incidents" occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon near the
city of Viqueque, 212 kilometers east of Dili.
The first incident occurred when a security patrol was engaged
with Fretilin rebels outside Viqueque. One guerrilla was shot and
killed. In the second incident, two guerrillas were killed.
Security forces found two more bodies, apparently from
Tuesday's incident, on Wednesday afternoon.
"None of our personnel were killed in the incidents," Irawan
stressed here yesterday, adding that security forces seized two
rifles belonging to the guerrillas.
Despite their dwindling numbers, the Fretilin guerrillas have
continued to oppose East Timor's integration into the Republic.
Once a major force in the province, they have now been forced to
seek refuge in the hills and conduct guerrilla excursions against
Indonesian forces there.
Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights ended its
two-day fact finding mission to East Timor on Wednesday.
Lead by Secretary General Baharuddin Lopa, the commission met
with both government and political leaders in East Timor, such as
Governor Abilio Soares and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo.
"We have come to East Timor to check and collect facts on the
protection of human rights in East Timor," Baharuddin said.
He explained that the commission wanted to check for
themselves the validity of allegations of human rights abuses in
the province.
Clementino Amaral, an East Timorese member of the commission,
said that the execution of human rights in East Timor is much
better than in many other places in Indonesia.
The situation in East Timor is increasingly improving and far
from the horrendous descriptions being spread abroad, he said.
(mds/yac)