---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Dengan mengClick banner sponsor anda menyumbang Rp. 1000,- untuk HomePage IndoNews. ---------------------------------------------------------- Annan to probe how ETimor proposals affect UN autonomy plan UNITED NATIONS, Feb 3 (AFP) - UN chief Kofi Annan said Wednesday that he would seek clarifications at the weekend about Indonesian proposals to grant independence to East Timor. Annan was asked by AFP what he hoped to achieve from a meeting here on Sunday and Monday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama. "Up till now we've been discussing autonomy," Annan noted. But "the independence issue is on the table, and we need to talk to the foreign ministers to see how this new development affects the current procedures, and where we go from here." Portuguese and Indonesian foreign ministry senior officials have been discussing UN proposals for broad-ranging autonomy for the former Portuguese territory at UN headquarters since last Thursday. Asked about progress so far, Annan said Wednesday that the negotiations were going "quite well. We're not displeased." The expert-level talks are scheduled to wind up Friday. Indonesia has said that its preferred solution remains for a broad autonomy package, but that if the East Timorese reject that option then independence would be granted. However Indonesian officials have ruled out a referendum on self-determination, which is demanded by Portugal. Indonesia annexed East Timor in 1975 and annexed the territory the following year. But the United Nations continues to recognise Portugal as the administering power. Jakarta's sudden offer of independence, which came on the eve of the latest round of UN-sponsored talks on autonomy, raised fears of violence in the territory in case of an abrupt severing of ties with Dili. ap/rl ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 5 Feb 1999 jam 04:57:31 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
