Newly independent East Timor urged former ruler Indonesia on Wednesday to drop its compensation demand for assets left behind after Jakarta ended its two-decade occupation of the country.
But Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta played down Jakarta’s decision to postpone indefinitely a visit by Dili’s new leaders to Indonesia which had been scheduled for Wednesday.
”We should best not talk about assets. If they (Indonesia) want to talk assets, East Timor lost much more,” Ramos Horta told a press conference.
He said thousands of homes and buildings were burnt down during the violence that surrounded the August 30, 1999 UN-organised ballot that led to the separation of East Timor from Indonesia after 24 years.
”A lot of our people also died, around 2 000,” Ramos Horta said, adding that both sides should take the ”zero sum” approach.
”The two countries should seek their own solution. If Indonesia gets any claim from its citizens regarding losses they suffered, Indonesia should attempt to seek an alternative.
”East Timor will also face the claims from its own people and try to handle them,” Ramos-Horta said.
Pro-Jakarta militiamen in East Timor, backed by senior
Indonesian security officials, waged a campaign of intimidation before the independence vote and a bloody and destructive ”scorched earth” revenge campaign after the result was announced.
Ramos Horta said that at every meeting between officials of the two governments, Jakarta had always raised the matter of compensation for public and private assets.
But his government had yet to officially present its stance.
Ramos Horta described the postponement of the visit by himself, President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri as a matter of protocol.
”Indonesia wants this visit to be a state visit and therefore it would need more preparation, and good protocol dictates that all the senior officials, including the president and the foreign minister, be in town for the visit,” he said.
”The visit has been delayed by the Indonesian side who informed us that the visit be postponed because there were still a lot of preparations to make.”
He said Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda was currently outside Indonesia.
Gusmao, president of the nation which achieved independence just nine days ago, had planned to make his first overseas trip as head of state to Indonesia to symbolise a new chapter in relations.
Indonesia’s foreign ministry said the visit had been postponed ”till a mutually suitable time and date can be arranged” due to scheduling problems. It denied the move was related to any outstanding disagreements or intended as a snub.
Indonesian claims over assets are one bone of contention.
Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975 and annexed it the following year in defiance of most of the world.
It spent millions of dollars on infrastructure during its 24-year rule, which also cost at least 100 000 East Timorese lives.
Gusmao was to leave on Thursday for a visit to South Korea, during which he will attend the World Cup’s opening ceremony and hold talks with officials before returning home.
Ramos Horta was due to leave with Gusmao for South Korea. He will go on to Spain, Ireland, Britain, Norway and Australia before returning on June 20. – Sapa-AFP