Dili – East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta has said that despite his country's 24-year struggle for freedom from Indonesian rule, it would not support independence movements in Aceh, Papua and other restive parts of Indonesia.

Ramos-Horta made the remarks to the Asia Society in an interview ahead of East Timor's acceptance as the 191st member of the United Nations on Friday, according to a transcript released by the East Timor Foreign Ministry.

"There is no sensible and rational government in East Timor, now or in the future, as there is none anywhere in the world, that could tell the Acehnese and the Papuans that we support their right to secede from Indonesia. We just cannot do that," he said.

Ramos-Horta said it is not only a matter of pragmatism – taking into account East Timor's future relations with its giant neighbor – but also wider diplomatic implications. "We have to be very careful," he said. "If the Acehnese and Papuans are given the right to secede, even though they have been part and parcel of Indonesia now for as long as they have, then where would we stop in terms of other Third World nations that are plagued with the same situations."

Acknowledging that Papuans and the Acehnese have "legitimate grievances," Ramos-Horta said the autonomy proposals offered by Jakarta are "more advanced than similar proposals in many developed countries." "We can only pray that the autonomy proposals ... will be fully implemented," he said.