South Africa's Nzo pays visit on Xanana in prison

JAKARTA (JP): Visiting South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo met with jailed East Timorese rebel Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao yesterday after being given permission by President Soeharto.

Accompanied by Indonesian protocol officers and South African Ambassador Bafana S. Kubheka, Nzo arrived at Cipinang State Penitentiary, in East Jakarta, at 1:15 p.m.

He left an hour later refusing to comment or answer questions from journalists, who were not allowed to enter the compound.

There was no information as to whether Nzo was accompanied by an Indonesian official during the meeting with Xanana or whether South African President Nelson Mandela sent him a letter.

Nzo, who arrived here Monday, met with President Soeharto at his private residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

The South African minister delivered a personal letter from South African President Nelson Mandela requesting that Nzo be allowed to meet with the jailed Timorese leader.

"In his letter President Nelson Mandela asked (Soeharto) to allow Foreign Minister Nzo to meet with Xanana Gusmao, and we agreed," Alatas told journalists after accompanying Nzo to meet Soeharto.

Nzo himself seemed satisfied after meeting with Soeharto.

"We got a very helpful briefing from the President about how far that issue (of East Timor) is proceeding," Nzo said as he left Soeharto's residence.

Soeharto and Nzo also discussed the forthcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Durban, South Africa, in August.

Nzo's afternoon visit is the second time Xanana has met a high ranking South African official.

During his state-visit to Jakarta in July, President Mandela met with Xanana at the State Guesthouse after receiving approval from President Soeharto.

Xanana is serving a reduced 20-year jail term for leading an armed rebellion.

East Timor was integrated into Indonesia as the country's 27th province in 1976, a move which has never been recognized by the United Nations, which still regards Portugal as the administrating power.

Mandela has shown strong interest in attempting to help find an international solution to the East Timor issue.

Soeharto and Mandela have agreed to use quiet diplomacy and to avoid publicity in their joint efforts to settle the East Timor question.

Separately, Alatas said Monday that Indonesia would refuse Portuguese aid for Indonesian non-governmental organizations and East Timor.

"I want to state that it is better (for the Portuguese prime minister) to look after his own country's economy, which is not one of the advanced economies of Europe," Alatas said in response to Prime Minister Antonio Guterres's recent offer. (prb/byg)