Dili – East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares has confirmed that the Movement for the Reconciliation and Unity of the People of East Timor, which had been established by a group of sympathizers, was a proscribed movement because it could threaten the integrity of the unitary Republic of Indonesia.

"The provincial government has questioned and rejected the movement which exists under the disguise of reconciling and unifying the East Timor people," Governor Soares told journalists before opening the seventh provincial consultative meeting of the East Timor chapter of the Indonesian National Youth committee in Dili on Monday afternoon.

Governor Soares firmly rejected the presence of the MRUPT in the youngest Indonesian province because it was clearly not designed to reconcile and unify the East Timor people but had certain political objectives.

"The government must immediately disband the movement if it is designed to undermine the government," Governor Soares said...

Monitoring

Police Col Doctorandus Atok Rismanto, SH, chief of the East Timor Provincial Police, said police were constantly monitoring the dvelopments of the organization.

Police have sent a letter to the East Timor provincial government offering suggestions and input as well as set up a special team to deal with the movement.

"Had the organization had positive objectives, it would have pursued correct procedures, i.e. having a permit and statutes," he said, while expressing his doubts that the MRUPT had pursued the procedures.

According to MRUPT chairman Manuel Viegas Carrascalao, the MRUPT wanted to help the provincial government unify the politically divided East Timor people and was not opposed to the government and ABRI.