Soeharto informs Hayden of East Timor progress
Soeharto informs Hayden of East Timor progress
JAKARTA (JP): Australian Governor-General Bill Hayden in a meeting with President Soeharto here yesterday brought up the contentious issue of East Timor, an area that has been a persistent irritation point in past Jakarta-Canberra relations.
"However, his questions on East Timor were not the ones usually asked by foreigners," Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told journalists following yesterday's meeting at Merdeka Palace.
"He asked about the current policies and implementation of development in East Timor," Moerdiono explained.
Hayden, accompanied by his wife Dallas, arrived here on Wednesday for a five-day state visit.
His arrival here marks a new high point in relations between the two countries as the first-ever state visit by an Australian Governor-General to Indonesia.
On Thursday afternoon Hayden inducted Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas as an Honorary Officer in the Order of Australia for his contributions to strengthening ties between the two neighbors.
Though Australia recognizes Indonesia's sovereignty over East Timor, Canberra's persistence in scrutinizing human rights violations has often strained bilateral ties.
Hayden's curiosity yesterday, however, was apparently limited to the development progress of Indonesia's youngest province.
According to Moerdiono, Soeharto pointed out to the Governor- General the many developments accomplished since East Timor's integration into Indonesia in 1976.
"Many more (developments) than during the Portuguese colonial period in the past," he said.
Moerdiono conveyed the President's realization of today's tremendous pace of development and his understanding of the difficulties of providing job opportunities for young East Timorese.
"For the people of East Timor the job market really isn't just in East Timor, it encompasses other parts of Indonesia as well," Soeharto said as quoted by Moerdiono.
Apart from East Timor, Soeharto also explained about the developments taking place throughout the country and some of his achievements.
After meeting with the President, Hayden then left for lunch at Cipanas Palace about 100 kilometers south of Jakarta, which was then proceeded by a tour of the Bogor Botanical Garden.
Later this afternoon Hayden and his wife will depart for Ujung Pandang, South Sulawesi.
Tomorrow the Governor General will fly north of Ujung Pandang to visit the traditional Toraja village of Ke'te' Kesu' and the cliff-side gravesites of Lemo.
He will then continue on to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, to tour the Sambodja orangutan reserve.(mds)