| Subject: LUSA: Xanana says talk about civil war is
nothing but a "bluff" Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 21:31:43 -0500 From: "Sharon R.A. Scharfe" <pet@web.net> 22 FEV 99 - 09:11 East Timor: Xanana Gusmao says talk about civil war is nothing but a "bluff" Jakarta, Feb 22 (Lusa) - East Timor resistance leader Xanana Gusmao said in Jakarta last week that talk about a possible civil war in his homeland was nothing but a "bluff" by certain people. Gusmao made the remark in an interview with the Australian Radio National station. Gusmao, who remains in special detention in a house owned by the Indonesian ministry of justice, also said in the telephone interview the East Timorese armed resistance movement was ready to lay down its arms if pro-Indonesian militias would do the same. Gusmao said the disarming of East Timor's warring sides was vital to the creation of a situation of peace in the territory that has been occupied by Indonesia since December 1975. Gusmao also said he was optimistic about independence for East Timor in the near future.-Lusa Copyright© 1996 Agência Lusa E-Mail Agência Lusa Back to February Menu |