Xanana will not be released, government official says
Xanana will not be released, government official says
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will send a reply to South
African President Nelson Mandela, informing him that jailed East
Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao will not be
released, a senior government official said yesterday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the
letter would be sent to Pretoria as an official reply to
Mandela's letter sent to Soeharto after visiting Jakarta last
month.
"The President will clearly point out that he can not release
Xanana because he is a criminal and not a political prisoner,"
the official told The Jakarta Post.
During his three-day state visit here last month, Mandela met
with Xanana at the State Guest House. The meeting was approved by
Soeharto.
Despite Soeharto's refusal to release Xanana, the official
said the President was willing to visit South Africa in exchange
for Mandela's three visits here.
"President Soeharto respects President Mandela as a great
statesman and trusts his sincerity in assisting Indonesia in
finding an international solution on East Timor," the official
said.
During the meeting with Mandela here, Soeharto supported
Mandela's initiative to help find an international solution to
the East Timor issue.
But Indonesia assumes it will be based on "quiet diplomacy".
Mandela, in his letter to Soeharto, said the release of all
political leaders including Xanana was necessary to "normalize
the situation in East Timor".
The letter sparked controversy because it was "accidentally"
sent to the Portuguese embassy instead of the Indonesian embassy
in Pretoria.
Pretoria expelled Portuguese Ambassador Vasco Valente for
allegedly leaking the contents of the letter to the Portuguese
press.
Xanana, 51, was arrested in East Timor in 1992 and sentenced
to life imprisonment in May 1993. His sentence was later reduced
to 20-years by President Soeharto.
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated into
Indonesia in 1976. The United Nations, however, still recognizes
Lisbon as the administrating power. (prb)