Dili – Thirty-one officials from Indonesia met East Timorese leaders yesterday to push its former province to compensate Jakarta for assets left behind when it pulled out amid bloodshed in 1999 – a request that has been steadfastly rejected in the past.

Led by Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno, the Indonesian delegation held talks with East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and local parliamentarians in the capital, Dili. 'We have talked briefly about assets, but we have not gone into detail,' Mr Hari told reporters.

Indonesia says it should be compensated for millions of dollars it spent developing East Timor's infrastructure between 1976 and 1999. It also wants compensation for Indonesian citizens, who left behind homes and businesses.

East Timorese officials have dismissed the claim, citing Jakarta's brutality and economic exploitation during its 24-year occupation – valuable hardwood forests were plundered and coffee plantations seized.

The Indonesian delegation also discussed pensions for East Timorese who worked in the Indonesian civil service and support for East Timorese students at Indonesian universities.

Meanwhile, East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said the doors of the newly independent country were open to pro-Jakarta militia members, now living in exile in Indonesia.