| Subject: Indonesia
Officially Transfers Authority Over E Timor To UN Indonesia Officially Transfers Authority Over E Timor To UN
NEW YORK, Oct 29 Asia Pulse - Indonesia officially
transfered authority over East Timor to the United Nations, as marked with the handing
over of a document from President Abdurahman Wahid to the UN Secretary General, Kofi
Annan, on Thursday.
Albeit the transfer was not conducted in a special
ceremony, the UN office invited a number of journalists and television cameramen to cover
this historic event.
The event is enshrined as the return of East Timor's status
to the era of July, 1976, when the territory reportedly had no self-government.
In an interview with ANTARA, Indonesian ambassador to the
UN, Makarim Wibisono, said his side was instructed by Jakarta to give President Abdurahman
Wahid's letter, which in fact is decree no. V/MPR/1999, regarding the People's
Consultative Assembly's (MPR) ratification of the August 30 ballot outcome to Kofi Annan.
In a letter dated October 25, 1999, the Indonesian
President informed that on October 19, Indonesia's Assembly (MPR) approved the decree,
thus ratifying the result of the August 30 ballot.
Based on the issuance of a new decree, the previous decree,
no.VI/MPR/1978, on the integration of East Timor into Indonesia, is now totally void.
By doing so, Indonesia has implemented a constitutional
step in line with chapter 6 of an agreement made May 5 in New York, thus marking the cut
off of relations with East Timor. Based on the new decree, Indonesia has let the status of
East Timor return to the past condition of July 17, 1976, at the time the territory had no
self-government.
Pursuant to chapter 6, the governments of Indonesia and
Portugal, including the UN Secretary General, will commit to regulations on the amicable
transfer of authority of East Timor to the UN.
At the end of the letter, Gus Dur also said that the
Indonesian President's letter and UN Secretary General's reply will be the basis for the
preparation of authority transfer to the UN, as already mentioned in chapter 6.
The chapter underlined that the UN Secretary General, after
securing a legislative mandate, will adhere to procedures which possibly usher East Timor
to the start of a transitional process toward independence.
By that point, the transfer of authority will effectively
come into force at the time the UN Secretary General replies to the Indonesian President's
letter.
After receiving the letter, Kofi Annan told Ambassador
Makarim that he would review it, and promised to give a reply as soon as possible.
On the occasion, Annan also gave a message of
congratulations to President Abdurahman Wahid, Vice President Megawati, and the new
Indonesian government that have been elected in such a democratic way.
He also expressed his hope that Indonesia under the
leadership of a new government can make further progress in many fields in the years to
come.
According to Makarim, Annan also has shown an indication
that his side is ready to visit Indonesia and East Timor. But there is as yet no
confirmation on the exact schedule of his visit.
"It will expectedly be conducted in the near future.
It could be this year or next year," the Ambassador explained.
During the Soeharto and Habibie administrations, Kofi Annan
never visited Indonesia, nor East Timor. With the settlement of the East Timor issue,
Annan expressed his intention to visit both Indonesia and East Timor.
(ANTARA
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