DR. JOSÉ RAMOS-HORTA AND DR HASSAN WYRAJUDA TO DISCUSS TL-RI LAND BORDER DEMARCATION

Jakarta, 14 September 2004
Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation is in Jakarta today for a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Dr. Hassan Wyrajuda, to discuss TL-RI land border demarcation process and human rights and justice matters related to the 1999 violence.

Working very intensely and constructively and based on the 1904 Portugal and Netherlands Treaty, the two sides have so far found common ground and agreement on about 90 per cent of their land border which includes the district of Oe-Cussi. Most of the remaining 10 per cent of the unresolved segments are situated in Oe-Cussi. The two Ministers are determined to find a resolution on the remaining differences and submit to their respective cabinets for formal agreement.

On Dr. Ramos-Horta's and Dr. Wyrajuda's agenda is the controversial question of the violence and gross human rights violations that occurred during the 1999 Popular Consultation process led by the United Nations.

As it is well-known the U. N. has set up in Timor-Leste a judicial mechanism, the Serious Crimes Unit in the Dili District Court, that has indicted and brought to trial a number of Timorese individuals. It has also indicted a number of senior Indonesian military officers.

The Timorese Parliament set up in 2002 the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) which is now finalizing its detailed report covering the entire period of 1974-1999.

In Indonesia, an Ad Hoc Human Rights Tribunal was set up in 2000 to try those responsible for the violence in Timor-Leste in 1999. So far only two Indonesians of Timorese background have being sentenced.

The Indonesian Parliament has just enacted a law creating a National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation whose mandate covers the 30 years of former President Suharto's rule.

It has been reported that the Un Secretary-General will appoint a group of independent experts to review the work of the two processes, the one in Timor-Leste and the onde in Indonesia, with a view to making further recommendations.

In relation to this reported initiative by the Secretary-General, Dr. Ramos-Horta said “The Timorese government will comment on this initiative of the Secretary-General only when it has seen and studied its mandate and terms of reference".

Dr. Ramos-Horta leaves tomorrow morning to start his first official visit to the Republic of the Philippines which begins on the 14th September with a Meeting with his counterpart. Dr. Ramos-Horta will also meet with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. While this Dr. Ramos-Horta first official visit to the Philippines, he has visited it several times before on working visits.

Dr. Ramos-Horta leaves Manila on the 17th for New York where he will head the Timor-Leste's delegation to the UN General Assembly this Fall.