• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=6/26/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251137
TITLE=INDONESIA / EAST TIMOR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  EAST TIMORESE INDEPENDENCE ACTIVIST AND NOBEL LAUREATE 
JOSE RAMOS HORTA HAS ARRIVED IN JAKARTA FOR HIS FIRST VISIT BACK 
TO INDONESIA IN 24 YEARS. BUT AS PATRICIA NUNAN REPORTS FROM THE 
INDONESIAN CAPITAL, RAMOS HORTA SAYS HE WILL WAIT FOR PERMISSION 
FROM THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE MAKING ANY EFFORTS TO GET BACK TO EAST
TIMOR.
TEXT: EAST TIMORESE INDEPENDENCE ACTIVIST JOSE RAMOS HORTA HAD  
NOTHING  BUT PRAISE FOR THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT.  UPON ARRIVING
IN JAKARTA, MR. RAMOS HORTA SAID HE HAS BEEN TREATED LIKE A 
"FRIEND" BY INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES.  THAT STANDS IN SHARP 
CONTRAST TO EVENTS EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHEN IT WAS UNCLEAR 
WHETHER INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE MR. RAMOS HORTA A VISA 
TO ATTEND EAST TIMOR PEACE TALKS.
THE PEACE TALKS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED BY EAST TIMORESE SPIRITUAL 
LEADER BISHOP CARLOS BELO, WITH WHOM MR. RAMOS HORTA SHARES THE 
1996 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.  MR. RAMOS HORTA SAYS RIGHT NOW, THE 
NEGOTIATIONS ARE HIS MAIN CONCERN.
                  /// FIRST RAMOS HORTA ACT ///
         I WILL DO MY BEST TO WORK WITH THEM TO CONTRIBUTE 
         TOWARDS A CLIMATE OF STABILITY, OF PEACE AND 
         RECONCILIATION IN EAST TIMOR, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. 
         THAT'S ALL ... MY ONLY CONCERN.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. RAMOS-HORTA HAS SPENT THE PAST 24 YEARS IN SELF-IMPOSED EXILE
FROM HIS HOME IN THE DISPUTED TERRITORY OF EAST TIMOR.  HE FLED 
THE FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONY IN 1975, JUST DAYS AHEAD OF AN 
INVASION BY THE INDONESIAN MILITARY.  HE HAS BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR
EAST TIMOR'S INDEPENDENCE EVER SINCE.
MR. RAMOS HORTA SAYS HE WILL AGREE  NOT  TO ENGAGE IN POLITICS, 
IF THE INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALLOWS HIM TO VISIT EAST 
TIMOR.
                 /// SECOND RAMOS HORTA ACT ///
         IF AT A LATER STAGE -- [IN] JULY OR AUGUST -- IF THE 
         MINISTER AGREES THAT I CAN GO TO EAST TIMOR ON CONDITION
         THAT I DO  NOT  ENGAGE IN POLITICS, I ACCEPT THAT 
         CONDITION.
                         /// END ACT ///
MR. RAMOS HORTA'S VISIT COMES AHEAD OF A REFERENDUM ON EAST 
TIMOR'S FUTURE POLITICAL STATUS, PLANNED FOR AUGUST.  THE EAST 
TIMORESE PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEY ACCEPT AN 
INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT OFFER OF WIDE-RANGING AUTONOMY FOR THE 
TERRITORY.  IF THEY REJECT THAT OFFER, THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT 
SAYS IT WILL CONSIDER GRANTING EAST TIMOR FULL INDEPENDENCE.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM RIVAL INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRATION FACTIONS 
IN EAST TIMOR ARE ATTENDING THE JAKARTA PEACE TALKS.  THE GROUPS 
SIGNED A PEACE ACCORD A WEEK AGO, BUT THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO 
WORK OUT DETAILS FOR DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY AHEAD OF THE 
REFERENDUM.   (SIGNED)
NEB/PN/WOD/WTW
26-Jun-99 8:57 AM EDT (1257 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.