Jakarta – Jailed East Timor rebel leader Xanana Gusmao on Friday led international praise for Indonesia's agreement to hold a direct vote in East Timor that could speed the process to independence.
Australia, which fears it could bear the brunt of any refugee exodus from the territory, also welcomed the accord between Indonesia and Portugual. But it has doubled its combat-ready troop strength amid lingering concerns over events in East Timor.
In a statement issued from the Jakarta house where he is held in detention, Gusmao said a direct vote on Indonesia's autonomy offer for the former Portuguese colony conformed with "the principles of democracy and representative opinion."
"The Republic of Indonesia, by accepting to carry out a method of consultation which respects these two basic principles, took an important step," the statement said.
Indonesia and Portugal agreed at the United Nations in New York on Thursday that there would be a UN-sponsored direct vote on an autonomy package to be offered by the Indonesian government. Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said in New York he had agreed the vote would be a referendum in all but name.
Gusmao said he was "sure that the people of East Timor would be able to once again offer proof of the political maturity demanded of them at this crucial phase.
"The people of East Timor know that they are not alone, and they have received numerous guarantees of moral, political and of economic support for the period of transition towards independence," he added.
Speaking to reporters later, Gusmao sounded a more cautious note, saying he did not yet know the mechanism agreed to. He also said a referendum, which has been ruled out by Indonesia, was still the "most democratic and fair" measure.
"I think it would [take very] little time, there are only 800,000 people there," he said, adding that he had heard that a UN team would be sent to East Timor to study other options to determine popular mood.
Commenting on a proposal for a ceasefire, made by the head of an Indonesian-armed militia group Thursday, Gusmao said he needed time to think it over.
"We [would] need a neutral body to monitor and implement a cease fire," he said, adding that a precondition would be an Indonesian troop withdrawal.
Gusmao is serving a 20-year-term imposed in 1992 for plotting against the state and illegal possession of arms. He was recently transferred from prison to effective house arrest.
Exiled East Timor resistance leader Jose Ramos Horta, a Nobel peace prize winner, cast doubt on the promised ballot, saying Indonesia could not be trusted.
"The Indonesians have not given us any reason to trust them," Horta said. "I judge them on their actions on the ground and not their promises. Their actions speak much louder." Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the New York accord was a positive sign. But Australia has already ordered that a new force of 3,000 combat troops be sent to Darwin, staging post for East Timor, 600 kilometres to the north, doubling to 6,000 the number of troops on 28-day deployment alert.
Downer said while details of the UN agreement still had to be finalised, he noted that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had spoken of finding a ballot which was as direct and democratic as possible.
"I look forward in the weeks ahead to further progress – in particular finalisation of an autonomy package, as well as movement forward on the agreed method for consulting the East Timorese on that autonomy package," Downer said.
He also welcomed the Jakarta meeting between Gusmao and pro-Indonesia militia leader Joao Tavares as vital step in reducing tensions.