APSN Banner

Home Indonesia Aceh West Papua East Timor

Megawati appeals for autonomy in ballot

Deutsche Presse Agentur - August 10, 1999

Dili – Indonesian opposition leader and presidential front-runner Megawati Sukarnoputri on Tuesday appealed to supporters in East Timor to vote for autonomy rather than independence in the territory's August 30 referendum.

"East Timorese should have confidence and remain dignified to chose what is best for them and don't let anyone interfere to separate East Timor from Indonesia," she said in a brief statement to reporters at Dili airport.

Speaking at the end of a two-day official visit to East Timor, Megawati urged a peaceful political campaign, calling for close cooperation between the UN and National Police.

On Tuesday afternoon, Megawati, appeared at a dilapidated sports stadium in Dili to speak to some 500 supporters, many of them members of the hard-line pro-Indonesian Aitarak (Thorn) militia, led by Eurico Guterres, a Golkar candidate in the June 7 national election.

During her speech, she likened herself to a "mother" of East Timor. "When I was chosen as leader of the PDIP [Democratic Party of Struggle] and in one of the special congress meetings a member from East Timor came to me and said,'we want to vote for you so please do not leave us'," she said. "I'm not going to leave you – I love the people of East Timor, " Megawati said.

During her visit, Megawati flew by helicopter to several trouble spots where pro-Indonesian militia violence has been a frequent occurence. However, she did not meet with any senior UN officials or leaders of the pro-independence National Council for Timorese Resistance (CNRT).

On Tuesday morning Megawati met with Dili's Nobel Laureate Bishop Carlos Belo, who urged her to respect the wishes of the East Timorese even if that meant independence following the referendum.

"Hopefully, you and the PDIP will respect the aspiration of the people of East Timor after the referendum on August 30," said the blunt-talking Bishop.

Megawati has said that the offer of self-determination for East Timor made by President B.J. Habibie last January is illegal, but as it is an international agreement she will respect the result.