Indonesia `willing to talk' to East Timorese

By Jon Land

A new development in diplomacy concerning East Timor took place at the fourth round of UN-sponsored negotiations between the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Portugal on May 6 in Geneva.

In an apparent change of policy, the Indonesian UN ambassador declared that his government would be willing to engage in dialogue with Timorese opposed to integration.

There has been increasing domestic and international pressure on the Suharto regime to improve the situation in East Timor. US President Bill Clinton sent a “message of support” to the UN secretary-general on the eve of the latest talks.

The Diplomatic Front Coordinating Commission of the East Timorese Resistance released a statement on May 8 urging cooperation with the UN in the search for a just solution. The commission, however, also had strong criticisms about the negotiations.

“The conclusions of the fourth round do not fully correspond to the needs of the East Timor situation ... no human rights improvement has taken place in East Timor. On the contrary, as even the Bishop of Dili, Don Ximenes Belo has denounced, the regime of repression and terror has continued and even intensified. The Indonesian military presence at present is of the order of 30,000 troops. The fate of those disappeared in November 1991 has still not been clarified. The promises of humane treatment for prisoners have not been kept.”

New East Timor solidarity groups have formed in Europe. In France an alliance for solidarity with East Timor, Peuples Solidaires, has been formed. A Swiss group called Urgence Pour l'Independence du Timor held an inaugural meeting and rally in Geneva during the talks on May 6. A new national pro-democracy group in Indonesia, the People's Democratic Union, includes in its policy the independence of East Timor.

There have also been demonstrations in Canada and England. On April 27, 100 people protested outside the British Aerospace shareholders general meeting over the sale of Hawk warplanes to Indonesia. In Ottawa, 300 people attended a march and rally organised by the East Timor Alert Network against the continued occupation of East Timor.

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