UN mulls autonomy models for E. Timor

UN mulls autonomy models for E. Timor

UNITED NATIONS (AFP): United Nations officials are studying autonomy models as they prepare a plan for East Timor to be put forward at talks between Indonesia and Portugal, diplomats said here Tuesday.

The diplomats said that UN officials are drafting concrete autonomy proposals for East Timor that will be presented at the ambassador-level talks expected to take place next month.

Among the models being examined by the United Nations are the Cook Islands, which are self-governing territories of New Zealand, the Dutch Caribbean territory of Aruba, and Hong Kong, the British-ruled colony which reverted to China in July last year.

The diplomats said that the United Nations was expected to involve East Timorese leaders on the draft proposals before they were finalized.

Portuguese and Indonesian foreign ministers agreed after a two-day meeting at the UN headquarters earlier this month to further discuss Indonesia's proposal of granting East Timor special autonomy in the hope of reaching an internationally acceptable solution to the issue.

Senior officials from both Portugal and Indonesia are scheduled to meet again in New York by the end of September to discuss Indonesian proposals for "wide-ranging autonomy" for East Timor which will exclude foreign affairs, security and finance.

They also said that the All-Inclusive Intra-East Timorese Dialog, which brings East Timorese leaders together, should meet again by the end of October 1998.

Diplomats said on Tuesday that Austria had agreed to host a new round of the broad-based talks.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as Indonesia's 27th province in 1976 in a move which has remained unrecognized by the United Nations.