---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, September 24, 1999 E Timor: Church Leaders Also Held Responsible For Bloodshed Dili, E Timor, Sept 23 <ANTARA>-The bloodshed which followed the announcement on Sept 4 of the ballot's result in East Timor is inseperable from the local church leaders' responsibility, an East Timorese figure said. "Religious leaders in East Timor must shrug off their responsibility for the bloodshed. They must be held responsible for the bloodshed among the people of East Timor," chief of the pro-integrationist force Joao Da Silva Tavares said recently. He is opposed to the accusation that he is the only person held responsible for the bloodshed. The accusation is totally unfounded, he said. There are three parties responsible for the bloodshed. They are Portugal, church leaders and separatis movement in East Timor. The three parties had instigated the bloodshed and that the accusation that the pro-integration militia must be held responsible for the bloodshed is merely an attempt to divert the public's attention, he said. Consequently, the question of East Timor remains unsolved, he said. Church leaders have never acted fairly. By using their influence, they tried to encourage the people of East Timor to reject Indonesia's offer for an autonomy package, he said. As a consequence, the people of East Timor have never become united and become hostile to each other due to difference of political views, he said. "The influential church leaders in East Timor have deviated from their main tasks as shepherds. They should guide their followers to the right way without having to meddle in the political sphere," he said. Executive Chief of the National Union Front <FPB> Domingos MD Soares shared Silva's views saying he has frequently asked the Dili diocese bishop to stay away from practical politics. But he added that the appeal has never received attention of the bishop. The people of East Timor have regretted the bishop's decision to flee East Timor capital of Dili following the announcement of the Aug 30 ballot's result, he said. He said the bishop has earlier promised to remain in East Timor, regardless of the outcome of the ballot. <U.DLI01/NN01/23:24/INT-NG/23:28/TB02> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 28 Sep 1999 jam 13:28:27 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
