UN envoy to meet with women abuse victims

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations' Special Rapporteur for Violence against Women said on Monday she would meet women who were reportedly victims of violence in East Timor.

"At the United Nations there are many reports of East Timorese women becoming victims of violence," Rodhika Coomaraswami was quoted by Antara as saying. She added the dialog was to be held with the cooperation of various organizations.

After meeting Goernor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, she said the visit was not part of an investigation into rights abuses.

The public relations officer of the administration in the province, Expedito Dias Ximenes, said a proposal would be forwarded to the UN to request assistance for the women.

Coomaraswami will be in East Timor until Wednesday. She is accompanied by Clementino dos Reis Amaral of the National Commission on Human Rights. He is a native of the province.

The governor told her that not all information about rights abuses was true and conditions of women in the province were better than during the Portuguese colonization.

Meanwhile, most observers in a discussion on East Timor in Jakarta supported the idea of more autonomy under the central government than an independence referendum because the province was not ready.

They expressed their thoughts in an international seminar titled "Democratization in Indonesia and the Questions of East Timor" held by Paramadina Mulya University and Solidarity For Peace In East Timor.

"I think the best way is for East Timor now to be given its autonomy because that would solve many political and social problems there," Nurcholish Madjid said.

The issue hinged on the government's political will in responding to the East Timor's people demands.

"East Timor people need an opportunity to determine their own fate. So let them develop their own way. It's better to strengthen the community first."

He said he did not object to a referendum "but now it's better to strengthen the community's economic and political bases".

Sociologist Loekman Soetrisno said the Armed Forces' role must be gradually reduced in East Timor.

Researcher Astrid Susanto said East Timorese should be allowed to speak because they had long lived in fear, but added her research showed more autonomy was vital to boost their lot.

Gerry van Klinken, an editor of Inside Indonesia magazine in Australia and a lecturer at the Griffith University, said autonomy proposals had disadvantages as they put Indonesia in charge of East Timor's foreign relations. (edt/anr)