U.S. to press for solution to East Timor issue: Clinton
U.S. to press for solution to East Timor issue: Clinton
CANBERRA (Agencies): The United States would press for a solution to the East Timor issue in Indonesia, President Bill Clinton said yesterday.
"We will continue to try to work to do what we can to resolve" the East Timor question "in a way that is consistent with what I believe are universal values with regard to human rights and human dignity," Clinton said as reported by AFP.
But questioned at a press conference, he declined to comment on a request from the U.S. Democratic Party and the U.S. Senate to raise the idea of a referendum on East Timor independence with Indonesian President Soeharto in Manila next week.
Speaking at the same press conference, Australian Prime Minister John Howard also declined to comment on self- determination for the former Portuguese territory which became part of Indonesia in 1976.
Senator Chris Dodd, chairman of the Democratic Party, and 14 other members of the U.S. Senate have written to Clinton asking him to suggest a referendum on East Timor to Soeharto during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The U.S. leader goes to Manila for this meeting Saturday after a five-day official and working visit to Australia.
Clinton said Washington has maintained constructive and friendly relations with Indonesia, but at the same time taken substantial steps in the past three years to address human rights concerns in East Timor.
Actions included changing U.S. arms policy to try to prevent the sale to Indonesia of arms most likely to be used to put down a civilian rebellion or to oppress people's human rights, and co- sponsoring a resolution on East Timor in the United Nations.
"Indonesia is a very large, very great, very rapidly growing country with a massive amount of diversity, both ethnic diversity and religious diversity, and (East Timor was )... one area where they've not been able to manage it successfully," Clinton told journalists.
"And we will continue to try to work to do what we can to resolve this in a way that is consistent with what I believe are universal values with regard to human rights and human dignity," he said.
Howard said he had not considered what form self-determination could take in East Timor but the issue was a sensitive element in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, a relationship in which Australia placed great importance.
"There will always be differences of view about how different issues should be handled between our two countries," Howard said.
"But my government and governments before mine, of both political persuasions, have shown a determination not to allow that issue to contaminate or undermine the broader relationship," Howard said
It was important that Australia tried to keep a proper balance between fostering the relationship and indicating Australia's values and attitudes, he added.
Clinton yesterday also called for a deeper engagement with China, Reuters reported.
"The direction China takes in the years to come, the way they define its greatness in the future, will help to decide whether the next century is one of conflict or cooperation," Clinton told the Australian parliament.
Striking a reassuring tone aimed directly at Beijing, he added: "The United States has no interest in containing China. That is a negative strategy."
"What the United States wants is to sustain an engagement with China...in a way that will increase the chances that there will be more liberty and more prosperity," Clinton told a joint sitting of both houses of parliament.
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