Subject: Press Release from Irish Foreign Minister
From: "etisc" <etisc@indigo.ie> Press Release
Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin, Ireland.
Date: 1st February, 1999.
Minister Andrews hopes East Timor may soon achieve self-determination.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Andrews T.D., today expressed the hope that
the people of East Timor may soon be in a position to realise their long-held desire for
self-determination. Commenting on reports from the United Nations in New York, the
Minister said that important new international pressures had arisen which had led
Indonesia to reconsider its position on the matter.
Minister Andrews added his full support to the call by the jailed resistance leader,
Xanana Gusmao, for a ceasefire by all sides in East Timor and for a phased withdrawal of
Indonesian troops from the territory. The Minister said it was vitally important that
violence be avoided, since it would jeopardise the progress which had so far been
achieved. The Minister said he was encouraged by reports that Mr. Gusmao was to be moved
from prison to house arrest. He recalled his intention to travel to Jakarta in the coming
months to visit the imprisoned leader and to show solidarity with the East Timorese cause.
The Minister pointed out that in recent weeks he has had detailed discussions on the
question of East timor with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan,
and with the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Mr. Jaime Gama. He has also been closely
involved in the elaboration of EU policy towards East Timor. At the European Council in
Vienna on 11 - 12 December, the EU called for a real and substantial reduction in the
Indonesian military presence in the territory, the liberation of Xanana Gusmao and of all
political prisoners, and the establishment in East Timor of a permanent United Nations
presence.
The Minister expressed his full support for the efforts of the United Nations to find a
negotiated solution and he conveyed his best wishes for the success of the talks between
Portugal and Indonesia currently underway in New York. The Minister stressed Ireland's
readiness t offer assistance to the United Nations should it be decided to dispatch
observers or monitor to East Timor to oversee the ceasefire and the military withdrawal
which he hoped would soon be put in place. East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign Suite
16, Dame House 24-26 Dame Street Dublin 2 Telephone 00 353 1 671 9207/ 677 0253 /623 3148
Mobile 087 286 0122 Fax 00 353 1 671 9207 Timorese Community in Ireland 00 353 1 453 1462
web http://indigo.ie/~etisc/ Offices in: Dublin Belfast Laois Galway Claremorris
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