Xanana visited by his wife, children
Xanana visited by his wife, children
JAKARTA (JP): Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, the jailed East Timor rebel leader, saw his family for the first time in almost 20 years when they visited him at Cipinang prison, East Jakarta, over the weekend.
Maria Emilia Gusmao, 45, and son Eugenio Paolo, 23, as well as daughter Zenilda Emilia, 19, arrived here on Thursday from Australia and returned on Saturday evening after visiting Xanana both Friday and Saturday.
The spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irawan Abidin, said last night that the visit was organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for "humanitarian reasons."
Irawan said that the 46-year-old Xanana had not seen his wife and children since they left East Timor to settle in Australia.
Henri Fournier, the head of the ICRC delegation, was quoted by Agence France Presse as praising the Indonesian government for its "excellent collaboration."
Fournier said that the three traveled here on Portuguese passports under the aegis of the ICRC.
"I had not seen my father for 18 years," Zenilda Emilia said, while Eugenio Paolo added his father appeared "in good shape" and "showed signs he was also happy to see us."
The East Timorese leader was arrested in 1992 for plotting against the Indonesian state and for illegally possessing firearms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by a district court in East Timor in May the following year, but the sentence was reduced to 20 years after President Soeharto granted him clemency.
A source told The Jakarta Post last night that prior to the Gusmaos' visit, Xanana and four other jailed East Timorese were visited by their respective families between Tuesday and Thursday.
The source, who wanted to remain unidentified, said that ICRC helped bring in two family members of each of the political prisoners.
She said that Xanana, who is jailed in a separate cell right in front of the watch tower, currently has a slight kidney problem.
His wife, clearly moved by the visit, made no comment at the airport as the family boarded their flight back to Melbourne.
The other four are Joao Freitas da Camara, Fernando de Araujo, Albino Lourdes and Marito, who were jailed in Cipinang for staging a protest rally against the Indonesian government following the Nov. 12, 1991 riot in Dili. The government claimed 50 people were killed after the rally deteriorated into a clash between the demonstrators and troops. (09)