Subject: AU: Timor vote delay a threat to Jakarta
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 14:41:48 +0000
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>Received from Joyo Indonesian
News:
The Australian 18 June 99
Timor vote delay a threat to Jakarta
By JOHN ZUBRZYCKI
POSTPONING the UN vote on the future of East Timor would be a major embarrassment for
Indonesia, exiled resistance activist and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta said in Sydney
yesterday.
Mr Ramos Horta said he expected UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to announce early next
week a postponement of the August 8 referendum because of the continuing climate of
"violence, terror and intimidation".
"It is only an embarrassment to the Indonesian side and they should not have any
illusion that the UN is going to back off. The UN will stay put until a clean and fair
vote takes place in East Timor," Mr Ramos Horta said.
Addressing a press conference at the NSW State Parliament, Mr Ramos Horta warned that
any postponement could lead to sanctions being imposed against Indonesia.
"If the violence continues, if Indonesia continues to dishonour that part of the
New York agreement (on ensuring security for the referendum), I don't see how the US
Congress will not apply sanctions or the World Bank can continue to release funds to
Indonesia which everyone knows they are using by the millions to destabilise East
Timor."
On Tuesday, the US State Department issued a strongly worded statement criticising the
Indonesian Government for its continuing support of pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor.
It also urged the Government to allow Mr Ramos Horta and resistance leader Xanana
Gusmao, currently under house arrest in Jakarta, to travel to East Timor.
Mr Ramos Horta said he was still hopeful Indonesia would reverse its opposition to his
visit, referring to Foreign Minister Ali Alatas's comments on Wednesday that Indonesia
would not issue him a visa.
"I am confident that in the next few weeks common sense will prevail and they will
change their minds," he said. "It is not my intention to go to East Timor and
embarrass the Indonesian side."
Mr Ramos Horta repeated that he would only delay his return to East Timor if Mr Gusmao
was released.
"I am prepared to stay put in Australia, to delay my return to East Timor for
better times as long as at least Xanana Gusmao is released and other East Timorese
prisoners are released and are allowed to go back to East Timor," he said.
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