Wife of Timor fugitive leaves for Portugal

JAKARTA (JP): The wife of an East Timor fugitive who fled to Portugal over two years ago will leave Indonesia today to join her husband following negotiations involving the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A foreign ministry official told The Jakarta Post that Gabriel Lopez da Cruz has forfeited her Indonesian citizenship and will leave with her two-year old baby for Portugal.

Her husband, Constancio Pinto da Cruz, was a civil servant who fled the country after the Dili incident in November 1991 in which security forces shot and killed at least 50 demonstrators at a cemetery.

"For the trip she will be traveling under documents provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross," the official said.

Gabriel's departure coincides with the beginning of talks in Geneva between Indonesia and Portugal on East Timor today. (07)