Xanana says he is not anti-Indonesia
Xanana says he is not anti-Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): Jailed East Timor separatist leader Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao said here yesterday that he is not anti- Indonesia.
"We are not anti-Indonesia, we just want the problems besetting the province to be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will only harm the people and the government itself," Xanana was quoted by Antara as saying to legislators visiting him in Cipinang prison, East Jakarta.
The legislators from the commission which oversees legal affairs also visited Salemba Detention Center in Central Jakarta.
Xanana, a former commander of the separatist group Fretilin, is currently serving a 20-year prison term for subversive guerrilla activities. He was sentenced to life in May 1993 by the Dili District Court but President Soeharto reduced his punishment to 20 years in August that year.
Xanana's meeting with the legislators yesterday was the second since his imprisonment.
Yesterday he engaged in friendly conversation with the legislators in his cell, describing how he had been spending his time.
Xanana, who was in his prison uniform of blue shorts and shirt, told the legislators he was happy to learn Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo had won this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Antara reported that Xanana looked a little older, with his shoulder-long hair and gray beard, but healthy.
Xanana also told the legislators he was no longer interested in participating in prison courses which offer vocational skills in prison, because he was growing older.
"My daily activity is reading," he said.
Xanana said he keeps up with the latest developments by watching television.
Legislator Handjojo Putro said the conditions in the two prison houses were good.
"Of course, we also noticed some facilities that need to be improved," Handjojo said. He did not elaborate.
Handjojo said the House of Representatives will ask the government to improve the welfare of prison warders, by raising their salaries for instance.
Handjojo said the 1995 Law on Correctional Institutions clearly stipulates that prisons are centers for rehabilitation. To achieve this aim, he said, prison warders should be well paid. (08)