DATE=7/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251952
TITLE=INDONESIA / EAST TIMOR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN THE DISPUTED TERRITORY OF EAST TIMOR, THE UNITED
NATIONS IS EXPRESSING SATISFACTION WITH THE VOTER REGISTRATION
PROCESS FOR A REFERENDUM ON POSSIBLE INDEPENDENCE FROM INDONESIA.
MEANWHILE, EAST-TIMORESE INDEPENDENCE LEADER JOSE RAMOS HORTA IS
TELLING PRO-INDONESIA GROUPS THERE WILL BE NO RETRIBUTION AGAINST
THEM IF THE INDEPENDENCE FACTION WINS THE REFERENDUM. PATRICIA
NUNAN REPORTS FROM JAKARTA.
TEXT: U-N OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS INCREASING CONFIDENCE IN THE
VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS IN EAST TIMOR. FOR THE FIRST TIME,
ALL 200 REGISTRATION CENTERS ACROSS THE TERRITORY WERE OPEN
(TUESDAY). IN THE FIRST THREE-DAYS OF REGISTRATION, INCIDENTS OF
INTIMIDATION, THREATS, OR JUST FEAR OF VIOLENCE CAUSED SOME SITES
TO CLOSE.
THE CONFIDENCE MARKS A SHIFT IN TONE FOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS
WHO FIRST POSTPONED THE AUTONOMY REFERENDUM BY TWO-WEEKS AND
VOTER REGISTRATION BY THREE-DAYS BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT
VIOLENCE BY PRO-INDONESIA MILITIA GROUPS.
MEANWHILE, EAST TIMORESE INDEPENDENCE LEADER JOSE RAMOS HORTA IS
TELLING THE TERRITORY'S PRO-INDONESIA FACTION THAT INDEPENDENCE
GROUPS WILL DO NOTHING TO ENDANGER INDONESIAN INTERESTS IN THE
TERRITORY.
BOTH EAST TIMOR'S PRO-INDEPENDENCE AND PRO-INDONESIA FACTIONS
HAVE VOICED CONCERNS THE WINNER OF THE AUTONOMY REFERENDUM WOULD
SEEK RETRIBUTION AGAINST THE LOSER.
SPEAKING IN AUSTRALIA, MR. RAMOS-HORTA SAYS IF THE INDEPENDENCE
FACTION WINS THE REFERENDUM, INDONESIAN MIGRANTS AND INDONESIAN
BUSINESS INTERESTS WILL BE SAFE IN EAST TIMOR.
// JOSE RAMOS-HORTA ACT //
I WILL DO MY UTMOST TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO
INDONESIA'S LEGITIMATE INTERESTS IN EAST TIMOR AND GUARD THE
WELLBEING, THE SAFETY OF INDONESIAN MIGRANTS IF THEY WANT TO
STAY.
// END ACT //
MR. RAMOS-HORTA IS THE 1996 WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR
HIS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS IN EAST TIMOR. HE FLED THE
FORMER PORTUGUESE TERRITORY IN 1975, JUST DAYS AHEAD OF THE AN
INVASION BY INDONESIAN TROOPS. A LOW-INTENSITY CIVIL WAR HAS
BEEN FOUGHT IN THE TERRITORY SINCE THEN.
THE U-N AUTONOMY REFERENDUM IS INTENDED TO BRING PEACE TO EAST
TIMOR BY ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON WHETHER THE TERRITORY
SHOULD REMAIN WITH INDONESIA UNDER A BROAD AUTONOMY PLAN, OR IF
IT SHOULD PUSH FOR FULL INDEPENDENCE. (SIGNED)
NEB/PN/GC/JO/RAE
20-Jul-99 7:31 AM EDT (1131 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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