Timor reconciliation talks begin in Austrian castle

STADTSCHLAINING, Austria (Reuter): East Timorese leaders began a historic meeting yesterday to try to reconcile differences that have torn their people apart for the last 20 years.

The All-inclusive East Timor Dialog was held behind closed doors at Stadtschlaining's imposing medieval castle, 140 km (90 miles) south of Vienna. The meeting is scheduled to last until Tuesday.

Supervised by United Nations officers, the meeting involved 30 East Timorese leaders -- 16 representing those who support the 1976 integration of East Timor with Indonesia, and 14 who opposed the integration and have been waging their campaign from exiles.

This is the first time that the leaders, many of whom were involved in bloody civil wars in 1975-1976, in the wake of the withdrawal of the Portuguese colonial administration, have met in one forum.

The pro-Jakarta delegation is led by senior politician Lopes da Cruz and includes East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares. Vocal Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo is in the delegation although he has pronounced neutrality on the issue. The anti-integration group includes Ramos Horta and Abilio Araujo.

UN political affairs officer Tamrat Samuel told the 30 delegates that the meeting was not a negotiating forum and was not intended to substitute ministerial talks between Indonesia and Portugal under the auspices of the UN.

"For that reason it will not address the political status of East Timor," he said as quoted by Reuters.

The meeting "is informal and aimed at facilitating an exchange of pragmatic ideas between the two parties," a UN spokesman said.

The discussions are intended to defuse the atmosphere and serve as the basis for progress in the peace process in the run up to a July 8 meeting in Geneva between the foreign ministers from Indonesia and Portugal, he said.

"The discussions will touch on everything with the exception of the political status of the territory, which is the exclusive preserve of Indonesia and Portugal," the spokesman said.

Bishop Belo said he hoped the meeting would bring the two sides closer together. "I am optimistic. Why shouldn't we ask for peace and reconciliation?" he told journalists.

Indonesian delegates also expressed the hope that the informal talks could go some way to improving relations, particularly on economic and cultural issues.

"It's quite an historic meeting. It's the first time all the parties are meeting," Lopes said on Friday.

"If we can create a spirit of dialog we can try to go for reconciliation. It will be successful if we can create a climate of understanding."

The only complaint heard ahead of the meeting came from Horta who was still insisting that the meeting discuss the political future of East Timor.

Horta told Reuters that the talks could not possibly ignore the political situation in East Timor.