Chris Michaud, New York – Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer on Tuesday praised Indonesian President B.J. Habibie's policies on the troubled East Timor region, saying that without Habibie the saga may never have been resolved.

"The resolution of the tragic East Timor saga was never going to be easy," Downer said of the region whose independence vote last month unleashed a killing rampage by pro-Jakarta militias and elements of the Indonesian military.

"Without President Habibie's actions this year it is hard to believe it would have been resolved for decades, if ever," Downer said in a speech at the Asia Society.

Downer called "the decision of President Habibie to seek help from the United Nations to quell the violence in East Timor" a "courageous step, made at some domestic political cost, as was his initial decision to allow the East Timorese people a ballot to decide their own fate."

He also praised East Timor independence leader Xanana Gusmao, saying he had met him and been "very impressed ... He has that (Nelson) Mandela-type approach of forgiveness," which Downer said was essential in order for East Timor to "start again."

Downer also reiterated Australia's firm support for Indonesia, citing progress on several fronts such as Indonesia's moves toward democracy and an independent East Timor, while conceding that "the crisis ... has strained our ties."

"At the end of the day," he said, "in Indonesia there is a recognition among thinking people that what happened in East Timor was wrong."

"We remain committed to constructive and cooperative relations with Indonesia ... Our ties can only grow stronger as the Indonesian people make their long walk to democracy and freedom." Downer added that he expected those ties to strengthen "now that East Timor ... is removed from the equation."

Addressing criticism from some quarters that the response from the international community to the East Timor crisis was slow in coming, Downer said that "because we were concerned that violence could erupt we had, months earlier, made what turned out to be highly effective plans to deal with such a crisis."

"Once it became apparent that the Indonesian forces ... either would not or could not prevent the violence, concerted international action became imperative."

Downer said the peacekeeping force authorized by the United Nations Security Council to restore order in East Timor – Interfet – has now deployed throughout the entire territory" and was providing humanitarian relief.