| Subject: Indonesia,
Portugal to restore diplomatic ties Tuesday
Indonesia, Portugal to restore diplomatic
ties
JAKARTA, Dec 28 (AFP) - Indonesia and
Portugal are to sign a document in New York later Tuesday to restore ties
between the two countries, severed 24 years ago after Indonesia invaded
the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, a minister said here.
The Indonesian envoy to the United
Nations, Makarim Wibisono, and his Portuguese counterpart, Antonio
Monterio, will sign a joint communique in New York early Tuesday on
"the reopening of ties between the Indonesian Republic and
Portugal," Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said.
"The signing will be done at 9:00 pm
our time, which is 9:00 am New York time," Shihab said.
Announcing the signing at his office
here, he said "if the Portuguese wants to reestablish their embassy
here, they are welcome to do so."
In Lisbon, a Portuguese foreign ministry
spokesman confirmed the announcement.
Lisbon severed ties after the December
1975 invasion of East Timor by Indonesian troops. Indonesia unilaterally
declared the territory its 27th province in 1976.
Portuguese traders landed in East Timor
almost 500 years ago and placed the territory under direct rule in the
early 18th century.
Jakarta in October relinquished authority
over East Timor to the United Nations after its legislature ratified the
results of a UN-held ballot on self-determination in which East Timorese
voted overwhelmingly to break away from Indonesia.
"Indonesia is always keen to develop
friendly relations with all countries as long as it is based on the
principles of equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal
affairs, and visible partnership," Shihab said.
Part of Indonesia's advantage of
re-establishing ties with Portugal was "hopefully to convince them to
understand our position regarding war tribunal in East Timor," Shihab
said.
Several of Indonesia's high-ranking
military generals -- including powerful General Wiranto -- have been
indirectly accused by Indonesian and UN rights investigations of
masterminding the massive rape, killings and burning in East Timor after
it voted to secede from Indonesia on August 30.
A UN commission of inquiry which has
visited East Timor is scheduled to report on its findings to UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan by December 31.
Indonesian has refused such a tribunal
and has instead set up its own inquiry team.
Annan is to make a recommendation to the
UN General Assembly as to the necessary steps to be taken in East Timor,
including on whether an international war crimes tribunal was necessary.
"Hopefully they will be convinced to
be on our side," Shihab said.
He added the signing of the communique in
New York was in accordance with a directive of the Indonesian parliament.
The parliament, he said, had demanded any
resumption of relations with Portugual should carry no prerequisites and
Indonesia should not take the pro-active role.
----
Gusmao hails restoration of ties between
Jakarta and Lisbon
LISBON, Dec 28 (AFP) - East Timor
independence leader Xanana Gusmao said Tuesday he was glad Indonesia and
Portugual were to restore diplomatic ties. "We greet with great joy
the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations, especially as I was a
defender of the opening of a Portuguese mission to Jakarta," Gusmao
told Portuguese agency Lusa in East Timor's capital Dili.
"It's the natural result of the
developments," he said.
Indonesia and Portugal will formally
restore diplomatic relations at a ceremony at UN headquarters in New York
later Tuesday.
Portugal, East Timor's former colonial
ruling power, severed ties with Jakarta after Indonesia invaded the
territory in December 1975 and unilaterally annexed East Timor the
following year.
Jakarta relinquished authority over East
Timor in October after a UN-sponsored ballot on self-determination.
----- Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 10:36:37
-0500 (EST) From: "Sharon R.A. Scharfe" <pet@web.net>
Message-Id: <2.2.16.19991229103757.2f9f0a6e@pop.web.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: "Sharon R.A. Scharfe"
<pet@web.net> Sender: owner-east-timor@igc.org Subject: Lusa:
Resumption of Ties With Jakarta Important for East Timor, says PM Guterres
To: east-timor@igc.apc.org X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to
8bit by igcb.igc.apc.org id HAA10052 X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version
2.2 (16) X-Sender: pet@pop.web.net
29 Dec 99 10:49 Portugal/East Timor:
Resumption of Ties With Jakarta Important for East Timor, says PM Guterres
Klina, Kosovo, Dec. 29 (Lusa) -
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the renewal
of diplomatic ties between Portugal and Indonesia would aid the interests
of East Timor. Guterres spoke to journalists Tuesday during a visit to
Portuguese troops stationed in Kosovo. "It is impossible for East
Timor to live with stability if Indonesia does not cooperate. The
re-establishment of diplomatic relations is an important instrument for
the normalization of relations between Jakarta and East Timor", he
said. In East Timor, independence leader Xanana Gusmao welcomed Tuesday
the news that Portugal and Indonesia had re-established diplomatic
relations. Gusmao recalled that during recent talks with Indonesian
President Abdurrahman Wahid in Jakarta, he had discussed the eventual
opening of a CNRT (National Council of Timorese Resistance) mission in the
Indonesian capital. Wahid in turn asked to open an Indonesian mission in
Dili in January or February, Gusmao said. Lisbon and Jakarta formally
re-established diplomatic relations on Tuesday, ending a 24-year hiatus
dating to the Dec. 1975 Indonesian invasion of East Timor, a former
Portuguese colony.
Back
to December Menu
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu
Note: For those who would like to fax "the
powers that be" - CallCenter V3.5.8, is a Native 32-bit Voice Telephony software
application integrated with fax and data communications... and it's free of charge!
Download from http://www.v3inc.com/ |
