28 October 1999
Assistant Secretary of State Roth Briefs on Indonesia/E. Timor
(Praises new government, presses for refugee repatriation) (430) Nadine Nigel Leavitt Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- "It is rather early to give a report card to a new government that is less than a week old," Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth admitted to reporters October 28 regarding the new Indonesian government. Nonetheless, he added, "I think that one would have to say, 'So far, so good.'" Speaking at the Foreign Press Center about the situation in Indonesia and East Timor, Roth pointed out what he considered were "positive signs" displayed by the new government in Indonesia. Roth said he found it encouraging that former opposition leaders are now president and vice president of the country; that the new president has reached out to many parties in forming the government; that a civilian is now defense minister for the first time in more than 40 years; and that the new attorney general has a distinguished record in working for human rights. Roth also said there has been some progress recently regarding the return of East Timorese to their homes, but stressed that more has to be done to ensure that their repatriation goes quickly and without intimidation. "The United States calls upon the new government, all the officials from the president through the military ... to other ministries involved," Roth said, "to take the necessary steps to provide that the government's policy, the rapid repatriation of those individuals who wish to return, be done so as soon as possible." Roth suggested that the land border between East and West Timor should be opened in a secure fashion in order to expedite repatriation efforts. He added that the United States believes there must be some accountability for what happened in East Timor. "While the details will certainly be decided by Indonesia," Roth said, "we think that that is an important issue." "My bottom line is not to say that all the problems of Indonesia have been solved in this brief period of time," Roth concluded, "but rather, as we've said all along, the administration believes that the establishment of a legitimate government through a peaceful, democratic and transparent process is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for Indonesia to be in a position to start addressing the many difficult problems that it now faces." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
