---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ and Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Precedence: bulk CNRT Timor Leste XANANA GUSMAO STATEMENT East Timor is facing a delicate and crucial moment of its history. East Timor has been on the UN agenda since December 1975. The UN General Assembly and the Security Council adopted strongly worded resolutions demanding total, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the invading Indonesian army and recognising the right of the Timorese People to self determination and national independence. However, in 1984, negotiations were initiated between Portugal and Indonesia under the auspices of the of the UN Secretary General. The period of 15 long years of frustration and failures that followed further highlights the unquestionable importance and the decisive nature of the upcoming meeting in New York. May 5 means that a new road has been paved; one that leads to the implementation of international mechanism and that will end the illegal situation in the territory which lasted for 23 and a half years. We want to believe that the Indonesian government will not seek further reasons, as it has done before to delay the signing of the agreement. During the recent months, the People of the East Timor endured extreme hardships in a situation of permanent intimidation, terror and worse, cold -blooded massacres. We recall the Bali summit where, once again, The Indonesian government publicised its commitment to the international community to abide by the agreed dates (May 5 and August 8), to implement a peaceful and democratic process and , above all, to respect the outcome of the consultation. The major question lies within the security mechanisms to be implemented. When the Dili peace pact was signed, On April 21, four traditional weapons were symbolically handed back to Gen. Wiranto. The Mausers, G3s, SKSs and the M-16s remain in the hands of armed militia groups which, with ABRI support, continue to threaten the population and force them to sign their allegiance to the integration. To consider ABRI(Armed Forces) as a neutral froce is a historical abberation in this long lasting problem of East Timor. We cannot but hope that the International Community can fathom the scope of such an aberration. It is therefore of vital importance that, immediately after the agreement is signed, the UN establishes a permanent presence in the teritory to implement the mechanisms which will guarantee the population the gradual return to peaceful environment. I wish to seize this opportunity to address the international human organizations and appeal for an urgent campaign to assist the population in East Timor whose belongings and home had been destroyed and burnt down by murderous gangs. The population was forced to abandon the fields to flee from threat and violence. There is need for immediate assistance for clothing and medicines. The hope of the East Timorese is for the International Community to continue to demand an end to this inhuman violence, that the universal principle of democracy and justice be respected and that dialogue be chosen as the path in conflict resolution. Salemba, May 4 1999 Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao CNRT President ---------- SiaR WEBSITE: http://apchr.murdoch.edu.au/minihub/siarlist/maillist.html ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 7 May 1999 jam 04:25:20 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
