INDONESIA-EAST TIMOR: Unwelcome Guest at Suharto's Party (1) An Inter Press Service Feature

JAKARTA, Nov 17 (IPS) - The issue of East Timor was not supposed to rear its head this week, at least not while Indonesia was playing host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings and to foreign leaders on state visits here.

But much like an unwanted guest, it nagged, elbowed and forced its way into the limelight. For a time, it threatened to steal the thunder away from Indonesia's well-prepared APEC party.

Unfortunately for Jakarta, the APEC meetings that attracted thousands of foreign journalists and officials from 18 Asia- Pacific economies coincided with the third anniversary of Indonesian troops' massacre of protesters in East Timor's capital of Dili on Nov. 12, 1991.

And while the last of Jakarta's honoured guests including U.S. President Bill Clinton have begun taking their leave, Indonesia remains under media glare as governments and activists watch what it will do next about East Timor and its people.

The fate of 29 East Timorese who scaled the fences of the U.S. embassy last Saturday and are still staging a sit-in is of immediate concern, although Jakarta has said it is willing to allow them to seek asylum in Portugal.

NGO sources say at least four East Timorese who tried to join them remain in detention here. The sit-in was supposed to have more than 70 participants, but only 29 got in the U.S. embassy compound.

Riots had also broken out in the East Timorese capital of Dili on the week-end, and human rights groups say up to 120 people have been hauled off to jail there.

East Timor, a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years, was annexed by Indonesia as its 27th province in 1976, but a resistance movement is still fighting integration. The United Nations has yet to recognise Indonesia's sovereignty in the territory.

Clinton himself said at a press conference here, "The people of East Timor should have more say over their affairs." In a 90- minute meeting with Indonesian President Suharto Wednesday, he raised the issues of military presence in East Timor, the November 1991 massacre and autonomy of the territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher also met with Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights. He noted that U.S.-Indonesia ties "can never reach its highest level if the people of the U.S. don't have confidence that there is an effort here to respect the human rights of all citizens".

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service