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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