Thousands welcome Bishop Belo in Dili

JAKARTA (JP): A sea of supporters shouting "Viva Bishop Belo" welcomed Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo when he arrived yesterday in the East Timor capital of Dili from a controversy- plagued trip in Jakarta.

Thousands had gathered at the Komoro airport since morning to welcome the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Roads leading to the airport were congested with hundreds of motorcycles and cars.

The Antara news agency estimated some 25,000 people on the scene, mostly students and youths.

After disembarking from the plane, Belo called for calm among the crowds. He then went to his private car, accompanied by a chorus of religious hymns.

Belo was then taken to Dili Cathedral, where he attended mass. The trip from the airport to the cathedral, which usually takes a few minutes, took an hour because many from the crowds crammed the streets.

Belo arrived in Dili after attending the Indonesian Bishops' Conference held during the past week.

Belo has been under public scrutiny after reports filtered back of an interview the bishop had done with German magazine Der Spiegel, in which he reportedly said Indonesian soldiers treated East Timorese like "scabby dogs".

In the October issue of the magazine, Belo also said the East Timorese people were treated like "slaves" by the Indonesian government.

Yesterday's reception in Dili was a sharp contrast to one he received in Jakarta, where about 2,000 demonstrators from a youth wing of Golkar launched a protest against him in front of the House of Representatives building.

Following the demonstrations in Jakarta, thousands of youths in Dili staged several days of sit-ins at public places in support of Belo. Antara reported that Belo said yesterday the demonstration of support for him in Dili was caused by the press reports.

"The news reports inflated the whole thing," he remarked.

East Timor Vice Governor J. Haribowo concurred. He said the press should have taken a wiser stance on issues concerning the bishop because of the potential of far-reaching impacts.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, the Attorney General's office has expressed its intent to summon Belo and ask that he explain his interview in the German magazine.

The head of the central intelligence operations, Gatot Hendarto, was quoted as saying that the office has the legal right to conduct such a procedure.

He was quoted in news reports yesterday as saying that Belo could be summoned anytime.

Prior to this, members of House Commission I for security and political affairs had also expressed their intention to call Belo to a hearing.

Belo has, thus far, remained silent. He ducked questions from the press and pleaded for time to hear a recording of the interview, which was conducted in early October.

Editors of the magazine, however, have said the interview was not recorded on tape.

In Rome, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas met yesterday with his Vatican counterpart Archbishop Jean Lous Tauran and later said that both Indonesia and the Vatican believed that Belo should stay out of politics.

"We can not accept him delving into political affairs. That's not the job he's supposed to do and not the job given to him by the Vatican," Alatas said, reported Antara.

Alatas was in Rome to accompany President Soeharto, who is attending the World Food Summit.

Alatas also commented on Belo's planned departure to receive the Nobel award in Oslo on December 10. He said that Belo should return directly to Indonesia after the ceremony.

"We don't want to see the Nobel prize exploited by Belo or anyone else to degrade Indonesia," Alatas said. (mds)