South Africa's Nzo pays visit on Xanana in prison

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)