UN envoy ends three-day trip to East Timor
UN envoy ends three-day trip to East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations special envoy on East Timor,
Jamsheed Marker, completed his three-day trip to the province
yesterday, leaving with a promise to seek a fair solution to the
disputed region's sovereignty.
Marker said before his flight back to Jakarta from the
province's capital Dili that he would help the conflicting
parties settle the dispute without having to lose face.
"Since East Timor remains an international issue, I came here
to gather as much information as possible to be reported to the
UN secretary-general," Marker told reporters at Comoro airport in
Dili.
Marker was accompanied by his wife, Arnaz, and another UN
official, F.M. Vadrall.
It was Marker's first official visit to the former Portuguese
colony since he was appointed by the new UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan his special envoy on East Timor.
Indonesia and Portugal have agreed to solve their long-held
quarrel over the territory's sovereignty through the mediation of
the UN secretary-general.
While in the province, the former Pakistani ambassador to the
UN met with Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, chairman of the
province's legislative body Antonio Freitas Parada, East Timor
military commander Col. Mahidin Simbolon, Dili bishop and Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Carlos Belo and newly inducted Baucau Bishop
Basilio do Nascimento.
Marker said he saw that the province had, generally speaking,
made good economic progress. He also hailed the Indonesian
government's handling of human rights violations in the
territory.
"I don't have the competence to make conclusions or
comparisons regarding development here yet," he said.
East Timor, a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years, was
integrated into Indonesia in 1976.
A demonstration was staged by a group of 200 anti-integration
youths Sunday to coincide with Marker's trip. The police arrested
48 people after the clash with security personnel that left 11
injured.
Marker regretted the incident, saying that he should not have
received such a harsh welcome. "I came here to gather information
which will help the UN solve the dispute," he said.
The envoy also expressed his concern over the demonstration to
Belo yesterday in their second meeting in three days. Belo quoted
Marker as saying that initiating violent actions that left
casualties was not the way to solve the East Timor issue.
The province's police chief, Col. Jusuf Mucharam, said
yesterday that three of the demonstrators had been released, and
pledged to pursue legal proceedings against the rest.
"So far I have no idea whether there was any subversive motive
behind the riot. It seems they acted in a purely criminal
manner," he said.
Marker's departure left hundreds of students of the state-run
East Timor University disappointed because Marker canceled a
meeting with them.
Police said the students dispersed after waiting for more than
four hours. (33/amd)