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East Timor News Digest 4 - June 17-23, 2002
Associated Press - June 21, 2002
Dili -- About 19,000 East Timorese refugees have returned home in
the first five months of this year, the UN said Friday.
This figure is more than the total number of returns for all of
last year, said Jake Morland, spokesman for the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees.
The UN estimates that more than 30,000 East Timorese refugees
remain in camps on the western, Indonesian-held side of the
island.
Over 250,000 people fled or were forced by pro-Jakarta militias
into West Timor following East Timor's vote for independence from
Indonesia in August 1999.
An interim UN administration governed the country until last
month, when the new nation gained full independence.
The world body has said that any refugees who choose to remain in
West Timor after the end of 2002 will be considered Indonesian
citizens.
Morland also noted that the UN was trying to organize a meeting
between Joao Tavares, a prominent former militia commander, and
East Timorese government officials.
The meeting, scheduled to take place in the border town of
Batugade Tuesday, is aimed at persuading Tavares and 8,000 of his
followers to return home.
The East Timorese parliament is currently considering legislation
that would grant amnesties for former militiamen who committed
minor crimes during the violence in 1999.
Kyodo - June 20, 2002
Kupang -- The Indonesian military has detained an East Timorese
soldier for illegally entering the Indonesian territory of West
Timor to seek his family, a local military commander said
Thursday.
East Nusa Tenggara Province's Wirasakti Military Provincial
Commander Col. Moeswarno Moesanip told Kyodo News that Joao
Gonsalvez, 29, a member of the East Timor Defense Force, was
captured Tuesday by East Timorese refugees sheltering in West
Timor. East Nusa Tenggara Province includes West Timor.
"He did nothing wrong ... He just wanted to see his family, but
crossed the border illegally," Moesanip said.
However, Moesanip stressed that military police are still
investigating possibilities that Gonsalvez was smuggled into the
Indonesian territory for spying, saying that, as a soldier,
Gonsalvez should have understood regulations.
Gonsalvez left his unit in East Timor's easternmost district of
Los Palos on June 7 with the permission of his supervisor to
visit relatives in the town of Maliana in the Bobonaro district
in the western part of East Timor. He was then told by Maliana
residents that his family was still in the West Timor town of
Atambua.
Gonsalvez, who is illiterate, then crossed the border without
proper documents, but East Timorese people in the refugee camp in
Atambua captured him and handed him over to the military police.
Moesanip said the UN Peacekeeping Forces in East Timor have
sent a request to him to release Gonsalvez. But Moesanip said the
final decision is in the hands of Udayana Military Regional
Commander Lt. Gen. William da Costa, who supervises Bali and East
Nusa Tenggara.
"As long as there is no final decision from the Udayana military
regional commander, he will remain in our custody," Moesanip
said.
"They [East Timor] have also arrested ex-integration fighters who
returned home legally, so why should we release him?" he added,
referring to former pro-Jakarta militiamen who went on a rampage
of violence in 1999 after East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for
independence in a UN-sanctioned referendum.
East Timor gained its full independence on May 20 after more than
four centuries under Portuguese colonialists, 24 years under the
Indonesian occupation and two and a half years under the rule of
the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor.
[The June 21 UMISIT Daily Briefing reported that two (sic) East
Timorese detained by the Indonesian army on the border between
East Timor and West Timor in Bobonaro District on Tuesday, have
been released. They were detained by Indonesian authorities for
allegedly crossing the Tactical Control Line illegally. It also
reported that a former militia member, Salvador Soares, was
arrested in Bobonaro District on Tuesday. Soares is alleged to
have murdered a number of people in Maliana in September 1999. He
has been handed over to the Serious Crimes Unit for further
questioning -- James Balowski.]
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UN Says 19,000 refugees returned from January to May
Military detains East Timorese soldier in West Timor
UNHCR queries return of children
Jakarta Post - June 21, 2002
I Wayan Juniartha, Tuban, Bali -- A senior official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said here on Wednesday that returning East Timorese children -- currently living in Indonesia after being separated from their parents during and after the violent postreferendum mayhem in 1999 -- to East Timor might not be the best solution for some of them.
"For many that is the right solution, but for some, particularly the older ones, it might be better if they stayed and continued their education in Indonesia," head of UNHCR's liaison office Robert P. Ashe said.
Ashe, who had just arrived from East Timor and was on his way to UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, attended a one-hour meeting with chief of the Udayana Regional Military Command, which oversees Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, Maj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa at Ngurah Rai International Airport. Ashe is slated to fill the post of UNHCR regional representative for Indonesia in mid-July.
"The important thing is to try to reestablish contact between the children and their biological parents, because, even if the children stay in Indonesia, at some point in the future, when they are 25 years old, or 35 years old, when they have their own family, they may want to go back to East Timor to visit their extended family there, or to visit their biological parents. Therefore, it's important to try and reestablish the contact," he said.
He stressed that the effort to seek a solution to the issue of separated children, along with ways of repatriating as many refugees as possible from East Nusa Tenggara to East Timor, would be the two main priorities of UNHCR in the future.
At present, UNHCR is still in the process of confirming and verifying a large number of reported cases of separated children. Approximately 2,900 cases of separated children have been reported to the UNHCR, and of those some 1,200 children have been reunited with their parents.
"We are now trying to verify where the separated children are and whether the reported cases are correct or have been misreported," Ashe said.
He cited that East Timor children were separated from their parents because of the security situation back in 1999 when their parents handed them to relatives, who later took them to refugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara.
Others were sent elsewhere within Indonesia to seek better education and also because some families were so large that the parents could not support all their children and handed them to caretakers.
| Timor Gap |
The Age - June 23, 2002
Jill Jolliffe, Dili -- Australia and East Timor moved a step forward in their plans to exploit Timor Sea hydrocarbon resources yesterday with the opening of a joint office in Dili. However, statements at the ceremony by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri made it clear the fledgling Democratic Republic of East Timor intends to continue contesting Australia's share of the potential spoils.
He said the Timor Sea Treaty signed in Dili on independence day, May 20, represented "an administrative contract, a framework for the two countries to solve their problems, such as the difficulty over maritime boundaries, which is the principal difference which divides us".
The new office is in a restored Portuguese villa on the Dili waterfront. Its main work will be to restart the massive Bayu Undan natural gas project, through which natural gas for domestic use could eventually be piped to Melbourne and Sydney via Darwin.
The May 20 treaty gives revenues of 90 per cent to East Timor and 10 per cent to Australia. Its framework came from the 1989 Timor Gap Treaty that gave de facto acceptance to Australia's claim to the continental shelf up to 200 kilometres from East Timor. No permanent maritime boundary between Australia and East Timor has been agreed on in modern times.
Reuters - June 21, 2002
Melbourne -- Following are key facts about the Timor Gap treaty, oil and gas developments in the Timor Sea and Australia's need for a new gas supply.
Treaty
The Timor Gap treaty was first signed by Australia and Indonesia in 1989. The Gap is currently split into three zones -- A is shared, B Australian controlled with an obligation to give 10 percent of any revenue to East Timor, and C is East Timorese controlled with 10 percent of any revenue given to Australia. The shared zone of cooperation has been managed by the Timor Gap Joint Authority, which is expected to continue its role for at least another year.
The new treaty will see East Timor receive 90 percent of royalities from the region and Australia 10 percent.
Greater Sunrise: Operator Woodside Petroleum owns 33.44 percent, Phillips Petroleum 30 percent, Royal Dutch/Shell 26.56 percent and Osaka Gas Co Ltd 10 percent.
Greater Sunrise, which lies 20 percent in Zone A and 80 percent in Australian territory, has the capacity to supply long-term gas contracts for more than 30 years and contains around nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 320 million barrels of liquids.
The Greater Sunrise venture has been locked in conflict, with operator Woodside and Shell supporting a floating liquefied natural gas project while Phillips Petroleum would like the gas brought onshore to Darwin to service the domestic market.
Shell and Woodside have agreed to a review of potential Australian domestic gas partners, following pressure from the Northern Territory government.
But the venture needs a confirmed annual market of 330-350 petajoules before it will commit to piping gas to Australia. Instead Sunrise wants to sell 250 billion cubic feet a year to the United states, less than one percent of the total US market.
"We have a customer, we have an opportunity, but it will not be there forever. We have to get out there and capture that if it is the way we are to go with Sunrise," Shell Australia cghief executive officer Alan Parsley said.
Singapore-based Shell Eastern Developments has already expressed strong interest in using Sunrise gas to supply markets in South California and Mexico.
Bayu-Undan: Operator Phillips 48.47 percent, Santos Ltd 11.8 percent, unlisted Japanese energy group INPEX Corp 11.7 percent, Kerr McGee Corp 11.2 percent, Eni unit Agip 6.7 percent, Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc and Tokyo Gas Ltd together own 10.1 percent.
The field, which covers around 25km by 15km and lies in Zone A, has an estimated life of 25 years and a recoverable reserve of around 400 million barrels of liquids and 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas. A$3 billion has already been spent developing it.
First liquids production is expected in 2004 and natural gas in 2006.
Other Timor Gap oil and gas fields
Laminaria: Operator Woodside Petroleum 44.9 percent, BHP Billiton 32.6 percent and Shell 22.5 percent.
Corallina: operator Woodside 50 percent, BHP Billiton 25 percent and Shell 25 percent.
The reserves of the oilfields are around 121 million standard barrels (proven) and 178 standard barrels (probable).
Elang/Kakatua/Kakatua North: operator Phillips, shareholders Santos, Inpex and Emet Pty Ltd.
Oil production began in 1998 and the fields have been producing around 17,000 barrels a day.
Radio Australia - June 17, 2002
[The Timor Sea Agreement between Dili and Canberra, is due to be ratified by the East Timorese parliament soon. However, the looming ratification is causing serious unrest among MPs and other groups in East Timor, mainly over a perceived lack of consultation by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri in negotiations for the treaty.]
Presenter/Interviewer: Fernando de Freitas, Darwin
Speakers: Helder da Costa, Director of the National Research Centre at East Timor's National University; Eusebio Guterres, MP from East Timor's Democratic Party
De Freitas: It's been dubbed as the conference that will determine the Northern Territory's future. Chief Minister Claire Martin arm in arm with East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri about to address an awaiting media during the annual South East Asia Australia Offshore conference, being held in Darwin.
Alkatiri: Claire's a very important person, a very importance precedent.
De Freitas: Both were in an upbeat mood with the topic of the Timor Sea agreement foremost in the line of questioning.
Alkatiri: As soon as the internal procedures of the parliament is adopted, then the parliament can really start working on the treaty. But that is only one or two weeks from now.
De Freitas: But Mr Alkatiri's optimism is far from the reality back home where there is growing opposition to the agreement according to Helder da Costa, Director of the National Research Centre at East Timor's National University.
Da Costa: There is a lot of growing concern, the people, including the university, the NGOs, and also from some representatives here, they've all expressed their concern of not having this kind of transparency in terms of the Timor Sea agreement. The parliament so far is not fully briefed, so the parliament has started to demand that the government present a full view before they take any further actions.
De Freitas: This growing concern was evident over the weekend with the protest of over 300 Timorese outside the new parliament. It included members of leading NGOs, which have started a public campaign against the ratification of the Timor Sea agreement. The protestors also included members of at least six of the 13 political parties, according to Eusebio Guterres from one of the main opposition parties, the Democratic Party, at least 30 members of parliament are now opposed and the number is rising. He says there's great confusion about the process.
Guterres: In the constitution yes there are modifications. How many members are voting, how many can pass the modification, that's not clear. So that's why I really strongly want to suggest that we adopt a ruling procedure. I will write my proposal for that.
De Freitas: The Democratic Party is about to put forward a motion that ratification require two-thirds majority, but it is unlikely that leading party Fretilin will allow the motion to pass. President Xanana Gusmao has so far remained silent on the issue, but according to Eusebio Guterres the President is also very concerned.
Guterres: The President says now we have to review the treaty, not to ratify, not to sign.
De Freitas: So you're saying that President Xanana Gusmao is against this arrangement that's been agreed to by Australia and East Timor?
Guterres: Of course, of course.
De Freitas: Well he hasn't said that?
Guterres: Yes I know but this is for our national interest. So he has not not publicly said so I know. But I already met Xanana in the last couple of weeks, Xanana feels like that. I know nothing about East Timor gap.
Da Costa: Well this is why the role of the president is going to be tested, maybe in the not too distant future Mr Xanana will probably step in and start saying a few words on this particular issue because he himself also would like to say a few words on East Timor gap because I would say that it will reach a point, a key point that everybody should deserve better information and better transparency here.
De Freitas: But speaking in Darwin Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri who has been the driving force in the negotiations rejects the criticism.
Alkatiri: It's not true. When the treaty was initialed on July the 5th last year, Xanana was there. Xanana was always informed during the negotiations, Xanana is aware of the treaty, was always aware of the terms of the treaty.
Da Costa: It could be creating public outrage by the people of East Timor, I wouldn't be surprised if things like this will erupt in the future.
Sydney Morning Herald - June 18, 2002
Craig Skehan -- East Timor has made a claim for all of the $30 billion Greater Sunrise gas field in the Timor Sea as part of a bid to pressure Australia into sensitive negotiations on maritime boundaries.
Australia is offering East Timor an 18 per cent stake in Greater Sunrise.
While a treaty arrangement gives East Timor 90 per cent of government revenues in a joint development area, Australia is seeking a separate annex covering the rich Greater Sunrise field.
East Timor believes that there is a case under international law for the whole of Greater Sunrise to be included within its maritime border.
About 80 per cent of the Greater Sunrise field lies on the Australian side of a 1972 seabed boundary.
The Prime Minister of East Timor, Mari Alkatiri, said in Darwin yesterday: "Sunrise should be 100 per cent East Timorese." He added that East Timor's claim was "open to negotiations".
At talks in Canberra yesterday, East Timor's Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, asked his Australian counterpart, Alexander Downer, to agree to start maritime boundary negotiations as soon as possible. "There is no timetable as yet," an East Timorese source said.
In March, Australia announced that it would not accept International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction in relation to any future disputes over maritime boundaries.
Two rounds of talks in Canberra yesterday involved the Prime Minister, John Howard, Mr Downer, East Timor's President, Xanana Gusmao, and Mr Ramos Horta.
A spokesman for Mr Downer said later that Australia accepted East Timor's right to seek a permanent delineation of boundaries. However, he said any discussion would need to ensure that "Australia's current boundaries with Indonesia are not brought into question".
The issue of negotiations with East Timor opening up scope for Indonesia to make new boundary claims is diplomatically sensitive.
Mr Ramos Horta said yesterday that East Timor accepted that it was Australia's sovereign decision to "make reservations" on the jurisdiction of the ICJ. However, he said it was up to both Indonesia and Australia as "neighbours and friends" to negotiate with East Timor on boundaries.
Mr Ramos Horta did not rule out a legal battle with Australia if negotiations break down.
| Government & politics |
Lusa - June 20, 2002
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, charging opposition legislators were hobbling action by East Timor's government, warned Thursday he might use his broad Fretilin party majority to rush through urgent legislation.
"We think government bills sent to parliament should be debated", Alkatiri told Lusa in Dili, adding that the opposition legislators should "cooperate" with his cabinet, rather than wasting time in futile discussions over whether "there are eggs or chickens in the market".
"Naturally if we, the majority bench, so desire, we can approve all these bills rapidly", he stressed.
Alkatiri's ruling Fretilin won 55 of the 88 seats in the legislature, which was elected first as a Constituent Assembly in pre- independence balloting last August.
On the government's roster of pressing legislative action are approval of the cabinet's program and 2002-03 budget proposal, as well as a new tariff and tax system, which Alkatiri wants approved before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
The prime minister's criticism of parliament echoed comments made by President Xanana Gusmao last week.
In a message to the country, Gusmao urged parliament to realize "the car was stalled" because lawmakers were failing to appear in parliament or because they lacked sufficient "commitment to their work.
"We are beginning a democratic system in our country", Gusmao said, underlining that democracy is based on "the commitment of all to making society flourish".
| Justice & reconciliation |
Jakarta Post - June 17, 2002
Yemris Fointuna, Kupang -- East Timorese leaders acceded on Friday to demands by former prointegration militia commander Joao da Silva Tavares and thousands of his followers, paving the way for them to return to the newly declared state of East Timor.
Kupang military commander Colonel Muswarno Moesanip said on Saturday that the agreement had been reached in a reconciliation meeting between a high-powered East Timorese delegation and Tavares plus dozens of refugee leaders in Atambua, West Timor on Friday. "All the demands of Joao Tavares and those of his followers were granted by East Timorese leaders," Muswarno said.
He said the delegation also convinced Tavares and other refugees that East Timor was already safe, as clearly reflected in the lack of incident during the celebration of East Timor's independence on May 20, which was also attended by UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan and Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
"They also agreed that East Timor police would guarantee the safety of returning refugees from the moment they entered East Timor territory to the time they reached evacuation centers and their respective homes," Muswarno said.
Tavares and thousands of his followers had demanded earlier that East Timor authorities guarantee their security once they entered East Timor territory.
They also demanded that returning militia members and refugees be placed in containment centers for adjustment before they were returned to their respective villages, and that they would not be treated as second-class citizens.
According to Muswarno, the East Timorese delegation agreed to all of Tavares' demands in the meeting, which he described as cordial and friendly. Refugee leaders attending the meeting included Tavares (as coordinator), Pedro Gonzalves, Armindo dos Reis, Fransisco Soares Pareira, Jose Ximenes, Inacio de Jesus Hornai, Agustino Pinto, Fransisco Sansilha, Antonio dos Santos, Filomeno Brito and Franscisco da Costa.
From the East Timor side, there were Antonio Cardoso and Jacob Fernandez of Fretilin, Pedro Gomez of ASDT, police officer Julio da Costa Hornai and Attorney General Longuinhos Monteiro.
Also present at the meeting were Aniceto Guterres and Isabel Guterres of the Truth and Justice Commission, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Manuel Carceres da Costa and representative of the UN Supporting Mission in East Timor Tim Hudner.
Tavares and thousands of his followers had planned to return to East Timor, Indonesia's former 27th province, which declared independence on May 20, 2002, in the second week of June, but delayed it until early July, citing the absence of an agreement between his group and the East Timor authorities.
If his plan reaches fruition, Tavares will become the most senior leader of the much-feared pro-Indonesia militias to have returned to East Timor. Lower-profile militia leaders have already returned to the former Portuguese colony.
Tavares was the commander of prointegration militias that went on a bloody rampage after the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to break away from Indonesia in a UN-organized referendum in 1999.
The rampage killed dozens of proindependence East Timorese, destroyed up to 80 percent of the territory's infrastructure and drove close to 250,000 people into makeshift refugee camps in West Timor and other parts of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
East Timorese authorities and international agencies have been urging refugees still living in West Timor, who now total 30,000 to 40,000, to return to East Timor. Indonesian authorities had said earlier that government-sponsored repatriations would stop on August 31, and that East Timor refugees still in West Timor beyond that deadline would be treated as Indonesian citizens and would have to be ready to be relocated to other parts of Indonesia.
Jakarta Post - June 21, 2002
Kupang -- Former commander of a East Timorese pro-Jakarta militia group (PPI) Joao da Silva Tavares and his almost 35,000 followers are expected to return home to East Timor soon.
Tavares disclosed his intention during a secret meeting with chief of the Udayana Regional Military Command overseeing Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara provinces, Maj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa, in the East Nusa Tenggara town of Atambua on Thursday.
"Tavares seriously wants to return home. He plans to return to East Timor this month, but the East Timor government is still considering his demand for a transit camp for former PPI members and refugees," da Costa told the media.
During the meeting, da Costa offered corn seeds, rice seeds, hoes and tractors to Tavares and his followers to start afresh in East Timor.
Tavares said separately that the arrangement to return home was a final decision. "For sure, I and my supporters will return home soon. We shall await the results of negotiation and reconciliation in the next few days," he said.
The first phase of negotiation and reconciliation meetings between the Indonesian government, East Timor government, East Timorese community leaders, the UN and former PPI supporters took place in Atambua on June 14.
Belu district military commander Lt. Col. Tjus Agus Minahasa said the second-round reconciliation meeting would be held in Bobonaro, East Timor, on June 24. "The second meeting was aimed at listening to the readiness of East Timor to welcome Tavares and his followers," he said.
Minahasa confirmed that the repatriation was expected in the middle of this year. "About 35,000 people will return simultaneously. That's why the East Timor government has to consider this matter seriously," he added.
In the first reconciliation meeting on June 14, the government of East Timor expressed readiness to issue a security guarantee to PPI members and not to impose tax on them for a year.
Pro-Jakarta militiamen, with the backing of the Indonesian military, were blamed for the carnage and demolition in East Timor following a UN-sponsored ballot in August 1999.
Lusa - June 20, 2002
East Timor`s President Xanana Gusmao said Thursday that he was opposed to any Timorese receiving compensation or war reparations for violence commited during the Indonesian occupation and 1999 militia rampage, as "sentiments cannot be sold".
"I won't accept that any Timorese victim of violence receives any compensation. It is a bad business. What is 'war reparation anyway?' It is plugging wounds with money and material goods", said Gusmao.
"We are selling sentiments and I don't accept this. I never will ... that people sell their grief", said the Timorese president, speaking on his return from a trip to Australia and his first overseas official visit.
Gusmao also said he would continue to hold contacts with pro- Indonesian, ex-militiamen still in West Timor, despite some opposition in East Timor to his reconciliation efforts. "I will continue and it is part of my manifesto to do this, and I'll achieve it, hurting whom it hurts", Gusmao said.
Asked by Lusa to comment on the current Timorese situation, a month after independence, Gusmao reiterated his address to the nation last week in which he placed his faith in "a common consciousness".
"We all have to contribute in the best way. There has to be a spirit of continual vigilance so that all continue in a combined effort to improve the situation", said Timor`s head of state.
Radio Australia - June 17, 2002
[East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has made clear for the first time that former militia leaders returning from exile in West Timor will not be granted amnesty for their role in the violence surrounding the independence referendum in 1999. President Gusmao clarified his views on reconciliation during his first official state visit -- to Australia -- since East Timor's independence last month. President Gusmao has met Prime Minister John Howard, downplaying their differences over the crucial issue of maritime boundaries.]
Presenter/Interviewer: Finance Correspondent Karon Snowdon
Speakers: Australian Prime Minister John Howard; East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao; East Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta
Snowdon: East Timor's new president had intended to make his first state visit to Indonesia, the country which had jailed him for seven years as the leader of the resistance movement which fought against its brutal occupation.
But, despite President Megawatti Sukarnoputri's important symbolic attendance at East Timor's Independence celebrations last month, Jakarta cancelled Gusmao's visit at short notice.
Nevertheless, East Timor's priority is understandable. Indonesia remains the most important neighbour to the new and impoverished nation. So Australia becomes the first stop for a state visit by default.
Howard: The friendship and committment of the Australian people in so many ways to the people of East Timor is well known and I have had the opportunity this morning of reaffirming that to President Gusmao and to his Foreign Minister Mr Jose Ramos Horta.
Gusmao: It is part of our effort to start this relationship with our neighbours in the Pacific and in Asia and Australia is actually the first country that we came to visit to talk about the future.
Snowdon: Australia and East Timor signed the landmark Timor Sea Treaty on Independence Day, dividing revenues from oil and gas resourcess in the joint development area 90-10 in East Timor's favour. It will provide the lifeblood of East Timor's economy in a few years time.
But, the Treaty remains under a cloud as East Timor insists new maritime boundaries must be negotiated along with the spoils from other oil fields.
Australia decided shortly before the treaty signing that it would not participate in the international court of justice if a dispute arose, although it denied the two issues were related at the time. President Gusmao dealt diplomatically with the issue at a press conference after his meeting with John Howard.
Gusmao: The two governments will do everything to get a resolution with a mutual benefit and respecting each others sovereignty. And he was backed up by Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta.
Horta: Our position on maritime boundaries has been made very clear by our Prime Minister. We intend to initiate negotiations with Indonesia on maritime boundaries very soon. The Indonesian side is very determined to settle maritime boundary existing with other countries. In regard to Australia we haven't even started negotiations, we will talk with Australia to find a settlement which wil be satisfactory to both sides.
Snowdon: Australia has in the recent past put maritime boundary negotiations in the too-hard basket in part because of the necessary involvement of Indonesia.
At home in East Timor one of the nation's major concerns revolve around the repatriation of the 50,000 East Timorese remaining in West Timor where a quarter of the population fled or were forced to in 1999.
The return of the refugees and the reunification of East Timor is almost a crusade for President Gusmao. But perhaps for the first time he has made his views clear on what he meant when in the past he's insisted on reconciliation with former militia leaders.
Gusmao: They already know that when they come back to East Timor there will be a trial. It will not be reconciliation without justice, they know this. We started a new phase of reconciliation that they agree when they come back to East Timor there will be a trial, they will face trial.
Snowdon: Negotiations are underway with some militia leaders to have them return in order that the thousands they control in the refugee camps can also return home. And its likely draft legislation could soon to be put to the East Timor parliament which includes reduced jail terms for some crimes committed in 1999.
Reuters - June 17, 2002 (abridged)
Canberra -- Militiamen responsible for violence when East Timor voted for independence could not expect reconciliation without first facing justice, President Xanana Gusmao said on his first official overseas visit on Monday.
The leader of the world's newest nation said the re-integration of those seeking forgiveness was a major challenge for tiny, impoverished East Timor.
Pro-Jakarta militias backed by elements of Indonesia's military rampaged through East Timor during a 1999 vote to end 24 years of often brutal Jakarta rule. The United Nations estimates more than 1,000 people were killed before and after the vote.
"We are now trying our best to bring back our countrymen, including former militias and former militia commanders, and they already know when they come back there will be a trial," Gusmao told a news conference in the Australian capital. "It will not be reconciliation without justice," said Gusmao who is on a four-day visit to Australia.
Up to a quarter of the population was herded across the border into Indonesian West Timor after the vote and some former militia members remain among the 50,000 or so refugees still in West Timor and who now seek to return home.
Gusmao, jailed for seven years by Jakarta for leading East Timor's resistance movement, downplayed international concerns that Indonesia was not doing enough to punish those responsible.
"Let's give them the opportunity to prove to the international community there's goodwill in this matter," said Gusmao, who easily won a presidential election in April. "What concerns me is East Timorese, and to be more clear, East Timorese militia and the militia commanders," he said.
Gusmao expressed his gratitude for Australia's help in his country's transition to independence and said he wanted to discuss his country's future with East Timor's near neighbour.
| Human rights trials |
Agence France Presse - June 20, 2002
Bhimanto Suwastoyo, Jakarta -- Survivors of a bloody 1999 attack on East Timorese independence supporters told Indonesia's human rights court Thursday how they fled or feigned death to escape rampaging pro-Jakarta militiamen.
Indonesian police and troops backed up the militias during the bloodshed that killed at least 15 people, the survivors said in written testimony against former East Timor police chief Timbul Silaen.
Nelio Mesquita da Castorego, 23, and Joao Bernandino Soares, 21, said they and their families had sought refuge at the Dili diocese on September 5 and saw militias, soldiers and police attack it. At least two people were killed and many injured, according to the charges.
"At the diocese compound, there were already a lot of soldiers and Brimob [riot police] members. After lunchtime, volleys of shots were heard for about one hour and suddenly shots hit the house," da Castorego said.
He said hundreds of people who had taken refuge in the compound rushed into the buildings to hide.
He later fled through the roof but was caught by militiamen. "I was told to kneel with my hands on my heads and afterwards one of the militiamen counted to three and a shot was fired. It ripped my cheek and one of my wrists," da Castorego said.
He feigned death and was left on the street until a passing Brimob patrol rescued him and took him to the military hospital. "The whereabouts of eight members of my family are until now unknown," he added.
Soares said uniformed soldiers shot at the tyres of the car that was carrying him and his family as it entered the diocese just as the attack began. They were beaten up by soldiers and militias and were later stabbed by militiamen before soldiers took them to the military hospital.
"The soldiers were in full uniform and armed while militias were mostly wearing black T-shirts with Aitarak or BMP written on the back," he said referring to two pro-Indonesia militia groups.
In her testimony, Maria Pereira Soares, 46, said they sought refuge at the diocese after her husband was accused of being too close to Dili Bishop Carlos Ximenes Felipe Belo. She said militiamen stabbed and injured her husband and one of her five children with knives as she ran for safety to the harbour.
As she was searching for her mother and sister who had sought refuge at the bishop's residence the following morning, she witnessed another attack. "I saw militias, TNI [armed forces soldiers] and police fire shots towards the refugees in the residence and some militias burned the building with gasoline," she said. At least 13 people died in the second attack, the charge documents said.
A fourth witness also gave written testimony, which was read out by prosecutors. Marcelino Martins Ximenes, a former group leader of the Aitarak militia, said he helped some 200 refugees leave the diocese for the safety of military headquarters. He saw no dead or injured or anyone carrying firearms or weapons in the attack.
Prosecutor James Pardede told the court that seven witnesses from East Timor and one from West Timor were unwilling to testify in person over fears for their safety.
After Silaen's lawyer refused to recognise the written evidence as legal, Chief Judge Andi Samsang Nganro only allowed prosecutors to read four of the eight accounts.
Silaen is one of 18 soldiers, policemen or civilians now facing or due to face trial at the rights court for crimes against humanity by failing to halt five massacres of civilians in which more than 100 died.
Local militiamen, created and supported by Indonesian military elements, waged a campaign of intimidation before East Timor's vote in August 1999 to separate from Indonesia. At least 1,000 East Timorese are estimated to have died during the campaign of intimidation before the vote and the subsequent violence.
Associated Presse - June 19, 2002
Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta -- Sitting silently in a packed courtroom, two current and one former Indonesian official listened Wednesday as prosecutors accused them of allowing a mob to kill refugees hiding in an East Timor church in 1999.
The three -- a military commander, a police commander and district head in the East Timor town of Liquica -- are charged with crimes against humanity for failing to prevent the April 6, 1999 massacre in which at least 22 people were killed. Unofficial estimates put the number at more than 200.
The defendants are among 25 Indonesian officials charged with crimes against humanity for failing to stop at least five massacres in the province before and after voters approved an independence referendum in September 1999.
As many as 1,000 people were killed across East Timor in the violence. The killings stopped when international peacekeepers arrived.
Indonesian Army Lt. Col. Asep Kuswani, Police Lt. Col. Adios Salova and former district head Leonita Martins answered yes when asked by the judge if they were ready to hear the indictment. The courtroom was filled with their supporters, including 20 officers in uniform.
Kuswani and Salova are still on active duty in Indonesia while Martins lives in a refugee camp in West Timor. On Wednesday, Kuswani denied the charges against him. The other two have not yet commented publicly.
The church massacre in Liquica is typical of what rights activists say occurred across the province.
A militia group opposed to independence burned scores of homes and attacked pro-independence leaders in Liquica before massing outside the town's main church.
With about 2,000 residents hiding inside, the militiamen starting shooting into the air, prosecutors said. They then rushed into the church, stabbing and shooting terrified residents as they tried to escape, they said.
Kuswani, Salova and Martins knew the militia were preparing to attack the church and that some of their subordinates were taking part in the attack, prosecutors said. They accused the officials of doing nothing to prevent the attack.
Jakarta Post - June 20, 2002
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta -- Two former top security officers in charge of East Timor testified at the ad hoc East Timor human rights trial on Wednesday, insisting that the task of creating peace and order before, during and after the 1999 independence ballot was simply out of their hands.
Former Udayana military commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri and former East Timor police chief Brig. Gen. Timbul Selaen told the court that they were under the control of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).
"There were not enough military and police personnel on the ground to calm heightened tensions between conflicting community groups ... We were undertaking mission impossible," Adam said.
He was testifying during the trial of former Covalima regent Col. Herman Sedyono, former Suai military commander Col. Sugito, Sugito's predecessor Lt. Col. Liliek Koeshadianto, former Suai military command chief of staff Capt. Achmad Syamsudin, and former Suai Police chief Lt. Col. Gatot Subiakto.
They are charged with neglecting their duty and failing to prevent pro-Jakarta militia members from attacking pro- independence supporters taking refuge in Suai's St. Ave Maria Church on September 6, 1999, two days after the result of the ballot was announced.
The attack claimed 27 lives, including three Catholic priests. Adam said security authorities had provided shelter for refugees, while the shelters in churches "were created only to attract international attention in order to get donations. The refugees were still doing their daily jobs."
Although UNAMET was not entrusted with security matters in Indonesia's former 27th province, there was virtually not a single security measure the military and police could carry out without consulting UNAMET.
"It was UNAMET who made Jakarta replace Suai military commander Lt. Col. Achmad Mas Agus for no clear reason, so I appointed Liliek to fill the post. UNAMET also prohibited the military from patrolling," he said.
Timbul Silaen meanwhile said that 6,000 police personnel were not enough to secure the 13 districts of East Timor. "UNAMET rejected our request to put the military under our command since there was no time to wait for additional force from other regions to stop the rampant clashes following the accelerated announcement of the ballot result," he said.
Both Adam and Timbul are among the 18 suspects charged with offenses relating to the East Timor violence.
Presiding Judge Cicut Sutiarso adjourned the hearing until June 25 to hear more witnesses.
Earlier in the day, Judge Cicut opened the first hearing on the attack of Liquica Church on April 6, 1999, which killed 22 proindependence civilians taking refuge in Catholic Priest Rafael Dos Santos's residence inside the church compound.
| Human rights/law |
Radio Australia - June 19, 2002
[The Dutch Government claims it has secured an agreement from Indonesia that it will continue to investigate the murder of a Dutch journalist in East Timor, almost three years ago. Earlier reports from the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta said Indonesia's Attorney General's Department had shut down its investigation into the murder of Financial Times journalist Sander Thoenes, because of lack of evidence.]
Transcript:
Fitzgerald: The killing of 30 year-old Dutch journalist Sander Thoenes was just one amongst many carried out in East Timor in 1999. Sander was riding pillion on a hired motorbike in Dili when he was shot in the back, and his mutilated body was found the next morning. His motorbike driver said their bike had been stopped by uniformed Indonesian soldiers, who'd opened fire on Sander using automatic weapons. The UN and Dutch police have identified a serving Indonesian military officer as the man named by witnesses as Sander's killer. That hasn't influenced Indonesia's Attorney General's Department though. It notified the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta last week, the case has being closed due to lack of evidence. Angry Dutch officials however now appear to have secured an assurance from the Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda that the case will remain open. Dutch Foreign Minister Jozias Van Aartsen.
Van Aartsen: Contrary to what has been published at some stage in Jakarta, Wirayuda assured me that the charges have not been dropped and the procedure has not stopped, and that is important for international journalism and for the Netherlands government of course because those responsible for the murder of Sander Thoenes should be put on trial before the ad hoc tribunal. Anyway that is our stance.
Fitzgerald: The news that this investigation isn't shut must come as a relief to you, but it does contradict reports that are emerging from the Indonesian Attorney General who says that the case is closed due to lack of evidence. That seems to conflict.
Van Aartsen: Well it's quite clear to me, I have to deal with my colleague of foreign affairs in Jakarta, I trust the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Wirayuda that the case has not been dropped and that they are going further to investigate the case. And the proof is that the Attorney General's bureau invited the Foreign Minister. asked me to send over the Dutch policeman who was investigating together with the Indonesian authorities last year.
Fitzgerald: Despite the Dutch Minister's optimism it's unlikely Indonesian police will arrest suspects in the killing. The Indonesian soldier identified by the UN and the Dutch as the chief suspect, has been recently promoted in the military, and responsibility for the crime may go higher up the chain of military command. UN reports have detailed the murder of eleven East Timorese people on the same day Sanders was shot. And the killings are thought to have been carried out by Indonesia's 745 battalion, which was retreating from the Los Palos area at the time and had carried out an attack near where Sander's died, less than an hour before his killing. The Dutch Foreign Minister says the next step is for the UN and Dutch evidence to be reconciled with Indonesian evidence.
Van Aartsen: To bridge the gap between the UN, the Dutch experts and the Bureau of the Attorney General in Jakarta, and if we can help them we're happy to do that.
Fitzgerald: But wouldn't you have already done that over the past as you say almost three years?
Van Aartsen: Well we have done everything that we could do and the Indonesian government knows that the progress in this case is of much importance for the enhancement of bilateral relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands, and is in fact of importance for the Indonesian government in the eyes of the world.
Fitzgerald: Dutch courts for those involved in Sander's death to face a human rights court are also unlikely to eventuate. The current courts have yet to bring down a verdict in the case of three civil and military officials charged with serious human rights abuses in East Timor and as yet strong independent witnesses, such as UN officials and journalists have not been called to give evidence.
Lusa - June 17, 2002
East Timor considers the creation of the International Criminal Court a priority and will soon sign the UN convention establishing the tribunal, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta said Monday.
Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said Dili had "no doubts" about the importance of setting up an international court and would add its support "without reservations".
Along with the international community, Dili is pressing Indonesia for rigorous trials of officers and officials charged with responsibility for human rights crimes committed in East Timor by Jakarta's security forces and proxy militias.
Ramos Horta made his comments in the Australian capital, Canberra, where he was accompanying President Xanana Gusmao on a visit.
| Indonesia |
Kyodo News - June 15, 2002
Kupang -- Senior Indonesian government officials on Saturday expressed willingness to allow East Timorese policemen and officials to pursue higher education in Indonesia.
The agreement was reached during an official visit Saturday to East Timor by more than 30 senior Indonesian officials, including three ministers.
Home Minister Hari Sabarno, who led the delegation, disclosed the results of the half-day meeting in Kupang in the Indonesian territory of West Timor.
It was the first official visit by Indonesian officials since East Timor gained independence on May 20. The East Timor delegation was chaired by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
"The East Timorese government has made a request to the Indonesian government to accept East Timor policemen to study at the Police High Institution [in Jakarta] and their government officials at the Domestic Administrative High Institution," Hari told reporters.
"And we agreed to accept their requests," he added. Former students of the police institution include East Timor Police Commissioner Insp. Paulo Martins, a former secretary to the East Timor police chief during the Indonesian occupation.
According to Hari, the issue of education is one of the three issues to be further discussed in a joint commission that will be set up by both governments. The other two issues are refugee repatriation and border markers.
He said officials from the two countries agreed on a joint reconnaissance survey that will meet again later this month to finalize the demarcation process that has taken place since early May.
In February, East Timor and Indonesia agreed to carry out demarcation of the 172-kilometer land border between East Timor and the Indonesian half of Timor Island based on a 1904 convention between the Netherlands and Portugal on delimitation of their possessions on the island and a subsequent 1914 arbitral award.
In the Saturday meeting, the Indonesian delegation also told their East Timorese counterparts that Jakarta will officially close East Timorese refugee camps in West Timor on August 31.
Last month, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Ruud Lubbers said his office will stop considering East Timorese living outside East Timor as refugees six months after gaining independence and a "cessation close" will be declared.
The UN refugee agency, however, will urge East Timorese refugees to return voluntarily to East Timor. To ensure a choice, the UNHCR will offer an alternative for resettlement on some Indonesian islands "on the way to Bali" but not in West Timor.
More than 250,000 East Timorese left East Timor and sought refuge in West Timor and some parts of Indonesia after violence erupted in the former Portuguese colony following a 1999 UN-sanctioned referendum, in which about 78% of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia.
According to the UNHCR, about 52,000 East Timorese are still sheltering in refugee camps, most of them relatives of former militiamen who support Jakarta and oppose East Timor's independence.
Lusa - June 21, 2002
President Xanana Gusmao has distanced himself from comments made by Dili`s prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, on the non-payment of compensation to Indonesians whose property was destroyed or appropriated after they left East Timor.
In an interview published Friday in the Portuguese weekly "O Independente", Gusmao said that the question was a delicate one that "involves material loss, and more seriously, loss of human life".
"It is better for the two parties to sit down together to discuss the problem", said Gusmao, rather than isolated statements being made that "could cause major damage to relations between the two countries".
Gusmao said that earlier comments by Alkatiri that he would reject any compensation requests from Indonesians who left goods and property in Timor were "remarks that must be avoided". Dili`s head of state also commented on the 40,000 East Timorese refugees still in Indonesian West Timor, telling Independente that "the problem was more about technical and logistical questions than political ones".
Gusmao said a further 10,000 of these exiles would return home by the end of August, although it was not an easy process and the Timorese authorities would have to work closely with the UN refugee agency and the Indonesian authorities.
Asia Pulse - June 18, 2002
Dili -- Three Indonesian ministers made a three hour visit to East Timor on Saturday, in an effort to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
"The visit aims to settle a number of problems faced by the governments. We also seek opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation," Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno said at the Comoro Airport shortly before returning to Jakarta.
Hari, Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsah and Industry and Trade Minister Rini Suwandi held talks with East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and parliament chief Francisco Gutteres.
He said that during the meeting, both sides had agreed to form a joint committee which will routinely and intensively discuss the two countries' bilateral relations. "We discussed border issues, Indonesia's assets in East Timor and border trade," he said.
He said no special issue was discussed with Xanana since their meeting with him was only a courtesy call. The Indonesian ministers also visited the Seroja Indonesian Heroes Cemetery in Dili.
| News & issues |
Lusa - June 23, 2002
Portugal's ambassador to East Timor, Rui Quartim Santos, Wednesday inaugurated the official residence of Dili's Catholic Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, a euros 300,000 building entirely financed by Lisbon.
The new residence of Bishop Belo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was built on the ruins of his former home, which was razed in anti-independence militia violence in September 1999.
Dili newspapers reported that joining Ambassador Quartim Santos and Bishop Belo at the inauguration ceremony were Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, whose family is Muslim, Parliament Speaker Francisco Guterres and Defense Force chief Brigadier Taur Matan Ruak, among other dignitaries.
Belo, who played a discreet, but pivotal, role in East Timor's struggle for freedom from Indonesian occupation, is widely considered to be the spiritual leader of the new nation, which, like Portugal, is predominantly Catholic.
| Religion/Catholic Church |
Radio Australia - June 19, 2002
[The nation of East Timor is barely a month old, yet already the issue of separation of church and state has reared its ugly head -- in the person of Bishop Carlos Belo. East Timorese spiritual leader and joint winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, Bishop Belo, was in a belligerent mood recently after he read an article that criticised him and the Catholic Church. The Bishop has caused a furore by calling for the expulsion of the Portuguese journalist from the country.]
Transcript:
Stephen Crittenden: Welcome to the program. The independent nation of East Timor is only one month old, but already it's become embroiled in a controversy that's much, much older: the separation of church and state.
East Timor's spiritual leader (and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner) Bishop Carlos Belo, recently went on the attack after a Dili- based newsagency published an article that criticised him and the Catholic Church. The Bishop responded to the article by calling upon the clergy and the faithful of Dili to run the offending journalist out of the country. Fernando de Freitas has the story.
Fernando de Freitas: Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, conducing a regular early Sunday morning mass at his headquarters in central Dili. As always, hundreds of faithful turn out in their very best attire to be blessed by the man that 's become an institution in his home country.
The Catholic Church that he presides over played a prominent role in East Timor's 24-year struggle for independence. It was one of the very few sanctuaries for a battered people, becoming the unifying force under this most charismatic of leaders.
But the Bishop's usual calm and measured manner was absent when reacting to a recent article Dili-based journalist, Antonio Sampaio, wrote for the Portuguese newsagency Lusa that the Church is still the most powerful institution in East Timor, and that Bishop Belo is even more powerful than President Xanana Gusmao.
What followed caught most by surprise. In a scathing letter published in one of East Timor's daily newspapers, the Bishop demanded that the journalist be kicked out of the country.
Antonio Sampaio: I was quite taken back by the reaction, because the article is not insulting, as Bishop Belo argues in his letter. I did not set out to do that. What I tried to do was try to explain, at an important junction point in the history of East Timor, the role of one of its most important institutions. And so a letter of that nature, asking for a journalist to be kicked out of the country, for an article that I still consider was a fair article, and that I stand by, and Lusa stands by -- I honestly did not believe that such a response was warranted.
Fernando de Freitas: Portuguese journalist Antonio Sampaio. What Bishop Belo objected to most was the description of him as more conservative than his fellow bishop in the nearby province of Baucau, especially in his attitude towards animism, the tradition belief system of the Timorese. The article points out that prior to Indonesia's occupation, there were only about 25% Catholics in East Timor, compared to over 90% today.
The Lusa article also questions the manner in which Bishop Belo was appointed in the first place. It was done directly from Rome, unlike previously when the Bishop was always appointed by his peers.
Antonio Sampaio: His right to disagree with the contents of the article is one thing, but to demand the expulsion of a journalist, particularly in the tone he demands that expulsion -- and this is a rough translation into English, he demands that the journalist should be "run out of Timor", and he addresses the letter to the faithful and the clergy of Dili.
That tone is very negative, and obviously doesn't augur well for the prospects of freedom of the press and the way the church (in this case, in East Timor) views the freedom of the press and the role of the press in a country that has just become independent.
Fernando de Freitas: The Bishop's reaction to Antonio Sampaio's article led to a storm of protest, especially as it came in the very first week of the birth of the new nation. Gil Da Silva Guterres is President of the East Timorese Journalists' Association.
Gil Da Silva Guterres: Certainly, as a journalist, I think it's over-reaction, because I think if Bishop Belo has something bad with the news, he has the right to reply, to explain that that is wrong, not to come out to kick out someone, the journalist, out of the country. That's not -- I can say it's not the reaction of people that aim of dream for democracy. That's my comment.
Fernando de Freitas: The Portuguese fraternity, which is very prominent in the new East Timor, was up in arms with demands for a retraction and reassurances of freedom of the press. Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and Foreign Affairs Minister, Jose Ramos Horta, both immediately came out to give this reassurance, saying that no journalist will be kicked out of the country.
But although most observers disapproved of the manner of the Bishop 's reaction, at least one thought the article exalted the Bishop's real power. Valentim Ximenes is Head of Social and Political Studies at East Timor's National University.
Valentim Ximenes: What strikes me, I suppose, is that journalists like Mr Antonio Sampaio should be a little bit more deep in his analysis, to see that the role of the Catholic Church is not being laid by Bishop Belo himself. But I just remind you that Bishop Belo, as the head of the Catholic Church, what he has done was that he carried out the mission of the Catholic Church as a whole in this territory: to get people out of oppression during the occupation, and that's what I know are the Timorese.
Fernando de Freitas: So you're saying that the Catholic Church in Timor is a lot more than Bishop Belo?
Valentim Ximenes: Yes, of course. It's not a matter of Bishop Belo. He carried out a mission of the Catholic Church as a whole.
Fernando de Freitas: The Bishop has stayed very quiet since the controversy, but in his Dili headquarters it's business as usual, with no sign that the devoted will turn away from their beloved church and its leader. But the incident highlights an issue that will no doubt be a re-occurring theme in the building of the new nation.
Valentim Ximenes: It is a beginning of how to separate the church from the politics within the framework of the new nation. One thing that we can learn from it is that in the past, during the war, the Catholic Church has been seen as a safe haven for all rival groups, a safe haven for guerrilla leaders among others. And now, even today, in the time of peace, the role of the Catholic Church and its leadership remains to be recognised as peacemaker and reconciliator.
Fernando de Freitas: There's little doubt the Catholic Church will continue to play a very important role in East Timor. Its new challenge: how to separate itself from the central position its grown so accustomed to.
Gil Da Silva Guterres: Well the East Timorese I know, the influence of Catholic Church, Bishop Belo is powerful, he is more powerful than Xanana. But we must divide thanks. I don't want to use negative emotions to justify political actions, political attitudes.
Fernando de Freitas: Gil, do you think it's going to be difficult for Bishop Belo to step back and separate himself and the church from politics, given the very important role that he's played in East Timor up to this point?
Gil Da Silva Guterres: It will be very difficult now I think. This kind of debate, this kind of polemic, will continue at least for the next five years, in the first constitutional review, it will be one of the most important debates in that.
| International relations |
Kyodo News - June 17, 2002 (abridged)
Sydney -- Australia and East Timor pledged to continue their close friendship Monday during East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao's first official visit abroad since his country became independent on May 20.
Gusmao, who arrived in Canberra on Sunday for a five-day visit to Australia, held talks there Monday morning with Prime Minister John Howard, who reiterated Australia's friendship with and commitment to the people of East Timor.
"I know the path ahead will have a lot of difficulties, but I know the friendship and support of the Australian government and the Australian people will be a constant element of East Timor's journey along that path," Howard said.
"Australians will for years into the future admire greatly the struggle of your people towards achieving independence and we certainly rejoice in the achievement of that independence and commit ourselves to a firm friendship in the years ahead," he said.
Gusmao expressed his "profound gratitude for all the help that we have received [from Australia] ever since the beginning of the transitional period" prior to May 20. He added that he greatly appreciated "the commitment of the Australian government to continue to help us in this difficult stage of our history."
Gusmao was to travel later Monday to Sydney for two days of meetings with local politicians and East Timorese community leaders before departing for Dili on Thursday morning.
| Economy & investment |
Reuters - June 15, 2002
Clare Black, Oslo -- East Timor, a brand new nation barely one month old, hopes that the rebirth of its legendary gourmet coffee will bring some much-needed income to its people who are amongst the poorest in the world.
A Norwegian development project aims to relaunch coffee production in the country located on the northern coast of Indonesia, Norwegian coffee consultant Alf Kramer told delegates on Saturday at a European specialty coffee conference.
East Timor became the world's newest nation just three weeks ago after centuries of Portuguese colonisation and more recently, 24 years of brutal Indonesian control, during which time more than 200,000 people were killed in fighting and by famine and disease that followed the invasion.
"Fine coffees have already begun to reappear on the world market. A coffee legend has returned," Kramer said.
Coffee was first brought to East Timor by the Portuguese in 1815. In 1974, after the Indonesian invasion, production gradually fell from 45,000 tonnes to around 6,000 tonnes today.
"This development may have serious effects as coffee represents the main -- if not the only -- cash crop in East Timor today," Kramer said in a recent report on the country's coffee industry. He said East Timor was aiming to get production back up to its 1974 level by 2006.
More than half the country's approximately 800,000 inhabitants have no more than 55 US cents a day to live off and 70 percent of the population earn income from agriculture.
With altitudes of up to 1,500 metres, shade trees, rainfalls and a rich soil, East Timor has the perfect cocktail of ingredients for a high-quality coffee.
"The quality of the washed arabica has vastly improved during the last years and I recommend using this 'old but new' coffee particularly for its clean, mellow and well-balanced cup," Alan Nietlisbach of Switzerland's Volcafe specialty coffee said.
An Italian cupper said during a tasting of East Timor's new crop on Saturday, that East Timor's new crop was an interesting coffee with a spicy, pepper taste.
"It is very exciting to taste these new coffees," he told Reuters, adding that it could be a good ingredient for an espresso blend.
| East Timor press reviews |
UNMISET - June 17, 2002
The Timor Post front page reported on the Indonesia delegation's visit to East Timor and said that both countries have planned to establish a commission to look into issues like business, assets, border demarcation and education for Timorese studying in Indonesia, citizenship and refugees.
The paper reported that the foreign affairs director for the division of the region, Roberto Soares attended a meeting in Bangkok with the Ad Hoc experts working group on foreign affairs issue.
Thirteen local NGO's have reportedly written a letter to the Parliament, the president, Prime Minister, bishops of Dili and Baucau, all the political parties and the local and international media urging the Timorese leaders not to sign an agreement over the Timor Sea issue between Australia and East Timor.
The Timor Post ran a story on the Internal Minister Rogerio Lobato saying that pension payments for former Indonesian government civil servants has not arrived yet in East Timor. But the paper said that the Indonesia government's representative in East Timor, Kristio Wahyono, said the money was transferred to UNTAET on 8th of May 2002.
The paper also reported that some members of parliament are urging the government to install traffic lights in order to reduce the rate of traffic accidents.
The paper quoted Indonesia Minister of Social affairs, Bachtiar Chamsah, as saying that about 10,000 families currently in West Timor will return to East Timor by the end of December.
In a separate article, The Timor Post reported that Indonesian minister for Internal Affairs, Hari Sabarno, said that the presence of Indonesia President Megawati Sukarnoputri at the Independence Day celebrations facilitates the continuing education for Timorese in Indonesia and the return of refugees in West Timor.
The Timor Post reported that since March fewer people were visiting the Motael clinic.
FDTL Brigadier General, Taur Matan Ruak, has been quoted by the Timor Post as saying that East Timor government's political agenda is one that focuses on maintaining peace, especially with its neighbors.
The East Timor Police Service visited Oecussi district to evaluate the internal security following the independence phase and to look into the border issue between East Timor and West Timor, as well as handing out school materials. The Timor Post reported that currently there are 76 police officer stationed in that district. The paper said the delegation composed of 6 Timorese police, 2 Singaporean and 3 Portuguese UN police.
Joco Corte-Real, a farmer from Aileu told the Timor Post that Timorese people should grow more food, especially those that are high in protein. The paper also quoted Corte-Real as saying that many residents of that area have left their farm to look for jobs in the capital Dili.
Timor Post quoted the head of agriculture faculty of East Timor University, Osorio Florindo saying that the Timorese must change their mentality of laziness and focus more on agriculture.
Seventeen families in Hera, on the outskirts of Dili, began cultivating rice in a 20-hectare land provided by Moises Alves reported Timor Post.
Timor Post reported on Xanana Gusmco visit to Australia. It said the president, accompanied by the minister for foreign affairs will meet the Timorese community of Sydney on Wednesday after the inauguration of East Timor embassy in Canberra.
Timor Post also ran a story that ambassadors in Jakarta including the Portuguese ambassador, Ana Gomes are following the ad hoc tribunal in Jakarta. The paper said their presence in the tribunal is a sign that the international community is watching closely the trial.
UNMISET - June 18, 2002
Timor Post front page reported that the head of a former pro- integration group, Joco Tavares, had requested that the whole town of Maliana be given to his group, the integration armed forces, (PPI). The request was made during Saturday's meeting in Atambua with the delegation from East Timor.
TP reported Xanana Gusmco as saying that the country has to focus on the reconciliation process in order to strengthen national unity to enable the return of Timorese currently living in West Timor.
The President's Chief of Staff, Agio Pereira, said the official visit of Xanana Gusmco to Australia is to thank the government and the people of Australia for their support since 1999.
Timor Post reported again on the issue of installing traffic lights in Dili because of the increase in traffic accidents. The paper also reported that since the transfer of powers from UNTAET many Timorese have been unable to travel because the government has not established passports or travel documents.
It was reported that 779 Timorese students have been granted scholarships to finish their studies in Indonesia. The funds were donated from various countries and will be administered by UNDP.
TP reported that many dogs and chickens have died in Beloi, Atauro Island, because of a disease. Residents of the island have requested a veterinarian to address the problem.
The paper says that 319 people of Maliana district have applied to become members of FALINTIL/FDTL. Out of this number 17 are female applicants.
Timor Post reported on the President's official visit to Australia and said that on Monday he met with Australian Prime Minister, John Howard and many other ministers in Canberra before proceeding to Sydney to spend the last two days in that state and meet the Timorese community.
In an article the paper quoted the Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri as saying that Australia is maintaining the position that most of the the 'Greater Sunrise' is within their maritime boundaries. Alkatiri said, "the Sunrise should have been 100 per cent Timorese. This is our argument, but we are open for negotiations".
Suara Timor Lorosae's (STL) front page covered the visit of the Indonesia delegation and East Timor government officials to the Indonesian Heroes cemetery in Dili last Saturday after their meeting.
STL quoted the Member of Parliament, Josi Andrade, as saying that Leonel de Jesus a resident of Bobonaro district reported to him that a group of people in Maliana called "Kelompok Colimau 2000" are going around intimidating and forcing the local residents to join the group or they may be killed. The group has reportedly been seen wearing Osama bin Laden T-shirts and black pants in the past months.
The paper ran a story on the concern raised by Members of Parliament, Leandro Isaac (PSD) and Quiteria da Costa (UDT) on the Minister of Justice's long leave of absence in order to visit her family overseas. They say that the country is facing problems and her services are much needed.
The paper reported that the head of a youth organization, Organizagco Popular da Juventude de Loriko Assuwain de Timor Leste (OPJLATIL) has said that up until today, he doesn't know why UN Police and ETPS officers had their faces covered in masks when they arrested Cesaltinho de Fatima de Sousa.
STL reported that a family in Usindo II, Dili decided to take charge of a water supply center and charge money to those people who needed water.
The paper also ran a story that the dispute between East Timor Plumbing Gas (ETPG) workers and the company will be finalized today.
STL reported that certain Timorese are upset that the contracts of judges' have not been renewed.
The paper reported that Josi Pedro Camues, a lawyer from East Timor Legal Aid Foundation said the outcome of the reconciliation meeting last Saturday in Atambua with former pro-Indonesia group was positive. He said that it is good to have legal authority involved in such meetings.
The paper quoted the director of Business Association (KMDCFT) Abel da Costa Freitas Ximenes as saying that there are signs of good business perspectives; however, East Timor needs to establish proper trading law.
UNMISET - June 19, 2002
On its front page Timor Post reported on the farewell ceremony for the end of mission of the (Guarda Nacional Republicana) GNR yesterday in Dili. Timor Post said the Timorese Task Force would replace them. GNR has transferred 16 Land Cruiser cars, 4 trail motor bikes, 1 motorboat and many other assets to the new task force. Minister of Internal Affairs, Rogerio Lobato, the Portuguese ambassador and the commander for the Singapore contingent, Heng Sou Kaw, were present at the ceremony. Members of GNR will depart on 24 May.
Jacob Xavier, Member of Parliament (PPT) walked out of the assembly upset because other members of parliament want district representatives as part of political parties. The paper quoted Xavier as saying that the parliament has to establish a law regarding this matter and not creating conflict among them.
TP quoted Cornelio Da Costa Silva the Atazro district coordinator as saying that the people of Atazro need qualified teachers to provide education.
The Floating Resort Boat, The Dolphin, remains closed to the public because is still awaiting an agreement with the government to stay in East Timor reported TP.
Rui Daniel da Costa from the sub-division of the department of cattle breeding told TP that many animals, like dogs, pigs, chickens, horses, buffalo have died from a disease in many districts. In a separate article TP reported that residents from Atazro Island requested a veterinarian to look into this problem.
TP reported that an officer from the Department of Telecommunication and Transport has inaugurated the irrigation system in Cailako and Halekoe, Maliana sub-district last week.
Australia will soon approve tax exemptions on imported products from East Timor reported Timor Post.
TP also reported that the Australian government is willing to maintain direct support to the new nation. In a separate article the paper reported that Canada and Singapore would provide English language training for Timorese to be able to participate in international forums.
Suara Timor LoroSae (STL) quoted the Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, Arlindo Margal as saying that the Minister of Justice went through a process of approval for her long leave.
STL publishes 2 pages (A3) of the names of Timorese former Indonesian pensioners entitled to payments from TASPEN.
East Timor will claim the wealthiest reserves of Timor Sea. STL quoted Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri speech on a conference in Darwin, Australia on natural resources. Alkatiri said, "The Timorese claim is perfectly clear based on international norms".
STL quoted Eusebio Guterres, a Member of Parliament (PD) as saying that one must reflect on the agreement signed between East Timor and Australia because it is not benefiting the country.
STL reported that Xanana Gusmco and Ramos-Horta raised the issued of maritime boundaries demarcation which is still unclear. The paper said the government would raise the same issue with Indonesia.
Parliament president, Francisco Guterres said the request by the former head of the pro-integration group, Joco Tavares to settle all the returnees from West Timor in Maliana District would be discriminating against other former members of the militias groups.
STL quoted Fr. Agostinho Vasconcelhos who participated in the reconciliation meeting in Atambua last Friday as saying that the meeting was positive and a step forward in the reconciliation process.
Longuinhos Monteiro, the prosecutor general said a meeting would take place sometime next Monday either in Bobonaro or Maliana to look into the requests made by the head of former pro-Indonesia group, Joco Tavares.
In a separate article STL reported that a group from the Reception, Truth, and Reconciliation Commission paid a visit to Francisco "Lu'olo" Guterres in the Parliament to discuss amnesty for those people who committed crimes in 1999.
UNMISET - June 20, 2002
Suara Timor Lorosae reported on its front page the blessing ceremony of Bishop Belo's house in Lecidere, Dili last night. Guests at the event included: Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, Speaker of Parliament, Francisco Guterres, Portuguese ambassador Quartim Santos, Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak, nuns, priests and Catholics from the diocese of Baucau and Dili.
Lucia Lobato, Member of Parliament (PSD), raised the issue of Portuguese language during a student conference yesterday in Dili. STL reported that in her view the Timorese are finding it hard to learn the language.
The deputy of KOTA, Clementino Amaral, says that if the government increases a tax on goods by 20% tax, it will affect the people because many are unemployed and many are working on temporary contracts only.
In an article the paper said, that 854 former Indonesian government civil servants would receive pension payment benefits on Monday 24 June.
The paper reported that the former director of the Indonesian bank (Danamon) in East Timor, Joco Bosco Guterres said the government must have regulations in place and conditions in East Timor to attract foreign investors. Guterres said investors will not focus only in Dili but in the districts as well.
In a separate article the Speaker of Parliament, Francisco Guterres said that if East Timor takes Australia to the International Tribunal regarding oil and natural gas it would affect the development of the nation's economy.
It was reported that Timorese are not feeling safe now that GNR has ended their mission in East Timor. The paper says many Timorese do not trust East Timor Police Service and would like the government to extend GNR services in the country.
STL reported that some judges are being paid although they stopped working after May 20. The paper said the judges are awaiting the decision from the Minister of Finance and Justice on their contract.
Timor Post also ran similar stories on Bishop Belo house blessing ceremony and payments to former Indonesian government civil servants.
Sports t-shirts donated by the Portuguese government two years ago are just being distributed by Joco Carrascalco to the people in the 13 Districts reported TP.
TP reported that a cement factory based in Aileu has closed because the business has been very quiet especially since the departure UNTAET. This information was provided by Rogerio Castro the person in charge of the factory.
TP reported that the University of New South Wales in Australia will hold a conference on 27 June with the theme "Present Challenges and Recipocrate Visions". The conference is aimed at the academic public of the Australian university.
A contingent of 69 Brazilian military officers arrived on in Dili on Tuesday to replace the current Brazilian contingent which will leave East Timor on 26 of June, reported TP.
Alianga de Arazjo said rumours in Maliana that her brother Abilio de Arazjo and Tommy Soeharto are backing the group that are going around intimidating people are untrue. They are meant only to defame her party.
[Drafted by: Ceu Brites UNMISET spokesperson's office]
UNMISET - June 21, 2002
Upon his arrival in Dili, the President, Xanana Gusmco said, " the visit to Australia is part of my job to thank for their support now that we are a new nation", reported Timor Post. Referring to the establishment of a consulate in Sydney, Mr. Gusmco said the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be in a better position to clarify the matter on his return.
Lu'olo is a strong candidate to be the Speaker of East Timor Parliament, reported TP.
David Ximenes, the director of Civil Security has been reportedly accusing the police of using the same tactics as Indonesia during the occupation to arrest someone. Timor Post quoted Ximenes as saying, "to arrest someone, one does not have to cover theirs faces just like the Indonesian did. Why not just arrest? " Ximenes said the police should have recognized him as the director of Civil Security. Somehow the police only recognizes the president and ministers. In the same article in the front page, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Rogerio Lobato has requested a report from David Ximenes relating to the arrest of a few people and the discovery of weapons by police in Bidau, Dili, a few days ago says the paper.
L-7 said that in this new era of independence the Police force should not conduct arbitrary arrest.
TP also reported on the condition of the Dili General Hospital, saying that the x-rays department is back to its full services.
The paper ran a story on the arrest of a member of FDTL, by the Indonesian military police in Atambua on Wednesday, for allegedly crossing the border illegally.
It was reported that half of the East Timorese refugees in West Timor have been repatriated.
The paper quoted the Udayana Military Commander William da Costa as saying, "The delay of the returning of Timorese refugees so far is due to the political interest of some Timorese who chose not to return to their homeland."
A student of East Timor National University called Azito da Silva, when asked about his comments on the exploration of Timor Gap oil, said that East Timor should prepare technical experts in the oil and gas field.
The residents of Aileu district had been reportedly cutting the timber trees without permission.
Coffee farmers need to take good care of trees in order to produce good coffee beans to compete in the international market.
FRETILIN may use the majority of its members in the Parliament to pass various laws faster. TP quoted the Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri as saying "Naturally if we, with the majority of the seats want, these laws would being passed rapidly." "But we understand that these laws sent by the government to the Parliament must be debated. That is why the opposition should start cooperating positively..."
In a separate article Mr. Alkatiri told Leandro Isa'ac, Member of Parliament (PSD) to behave in a proper manner. This was in relation to the matter concerning the long leave of absence taken by the Justice Minister, reported the TP.
Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) quoted the Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia and East Timor Harald Sandberg as saying that reconciliation should start from the heart of East Timorese people.
Public Defender Alvaro Maria Freitas, yesterday said that the Portuguese language is difficult to understand especially when it concerns the legal process.
Member of Parliament Alianga Araujo of Timorese National Party (PNT) denied the allegation by a member of the Colimau Sect saying that the activities of Colimau was sponsored by her brother Abilio Araujo, the party's president.
Upon her release from Becora prison after detention for a week, Angela Freitas, the Vice-President of East Timor Party said that she was an innocent victim of the legal process. She plans to challenge the court, especially the panel of judges who decided in her case.
General Prosecutor Zelia Trindade responded by saying that if Ms Freitas had the evidence, she should go ahead and prove her case.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Rogerio Lobato, has been quoted, as saying that problems arising in the country are normal. But one must analyze the problems before making accusations. "I've seen there are tendencies. When there is a problem in Baucau or Viqueque automatically CPD-RDTL group is accused without finding out first the reasons. That's why I have said we must analyze it first."
At a press conference yesterday, the Secretary of Students National Resistance, RENETIL said on the 14th anniversary of the organization, members of the group reflected and discussed on how they could participate in the development of the nation reported STL.
| Book/film reviews |
Weekend Australian - June 15, 2002
[Deliverance: The Inside Story of East Timor's Fight for Freedom. By Don Greenlees and Robert Garran, Allen & Unwin, 375pp, $35.]
Peter Coleman -- Everyone made a "colossal miscalculation" in East Timor, according to this compelling and authoritative book -- the Australian Government for a start.
Just before Christmas 1998, John Howard sent his historic letter to president B.J. Habibie reversing what he had come to regard as the servile Keating-Hawke-Fraser-Whitlam policy of accepting Indonesian sovereignty over East Timor as settled and final. He called for an act of self-determination by the East Timorese people.
But the Australian Prime Minister's idea was that this act of self-determination should take place in 10 or 15 years, by which time a democratic Indonesia would be able to persuade the East Timorese to stay Indonesian, with all the health, educational, security and transport services that entailed.
The miscalculation was that Habibie would agree to this timetable. No one expected him to call a referendum in a matter of months. Habibie's colossal miscalculation was that he would easily win it, that the East Timorese would vote to stay Indonesian. But they voted overwhelmingly for independence.
The UN's miscalculation was that it could rely on the Indonesian army to keep the peace and calmly accept defeat while the UN ushered the new nation into being. Instead, it acted like a retreating army with a strategy of scorched earth -- until stopped by Australian soldiers. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said he would never have embarked on the referendum at that time had he foreseen all the consequences.
All these great authorities had the advice of huge intelligence apparatuses and all of them were wrong. We should therefore be cautious about predicting the future of this brave, new mini- nation.
This is the main message of the inside story by Don Greenlees and Robert Garran. Not the least of the book's many merits is that it avoids the standard cliches. For example, almost every commentator likes to remind us of what terrible and repressive colonisers the Portuguese were in their nearly 500 years in Timor. But Greenlees and Garran also remind us that the Dili elite, which led the fight for freedom, value their Portuguese heritage. They have even adopted Portuguese as the national language without bothering to consult the ordinary East Timorese, the vast bulk of whom cannot speak it. (The young speak Indonesian.)
Again, Greenlees and Garran do not dismiss everyone who wanted integration with Indonesia as a thug. Many conscientiously wanted to remain Indonesian and more than 94,000 voted that way.
Yet the authors' sympathies remain with the East Timorese throughout their story. In this they reflect Australian public opinion, which was horrified by the television reports of massacres, mutilations, terrorism and the torching of property conducted by the Indonesian army or its militia proxies.
As Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said: "The Australian public was screaming out. People were ringing up, crying over the phone. We had more calls on that issue than I've ever had in my life on anything."
This backs up one of the sub-themes of the book -- the role of globalisation in bringing freedom to East Timor. The global economy brought down the Suharto dictatorship. The global political order justified foreign intervention in the affairs of another country. The global media (along with the internet and email) made East Timor an inescapable international issue. Once British film-maker Max Stahl had documented for the world the Santa Cruz cemetery massacre of 1991, the global media gave the East Timorese international support and kept them in the public eye.
The loss of East Timor was a dreadful blow to Indonesians, especially to their army. Yet they brought this humiliation on themselves. Perhaps they would have done better if Indonesia had been a democracy during its 23 years of control. But their confidence that they would easily win the referendum shows that they never listened to the East Timorese.
As for the future, Greenless and Garran are cautious. One key section of their book is headed Triumph or Tragedy -- and this is a questioning note they strike throughout. Indonesia's resentment towards the East Timorese will not easily fade. Neither will its rage with Australians, who were the prime agents of its humiliation. Yet East Timor must have Indonesian co-operation and Australia wants it.
For its part, Australia has a new aid-dependent neighbour that, as Canberra's Strategic Policy Institute told us the other day, cannot feed, police, develop or protect itself, let alone provide employment for its people. It has no tradition of representative government and has ominously named itself the Democratic Republic of East Timor. The shadow of New Guinea and the Solomons hangs over the island. But it has at long last been delivered the gift of independence.
One last point: by the time I had finished reading this book, the pages were falling loose around the room like ticker-tape. An excellent job by two good journalists, put out by a respected publisher and priced at $35 deserves better production.
[Peter Coleman, a Sydney writer, is a former member of the federal parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee.]