---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Indonesian national day celebrated in East Timor DILI, East Timor, Aug 17 (AFP) - East Timorese civil servants and school children celebrated Indonesian national day here Tuesday, possibly for the last time, at a formal ceremony in front of the governor's office. Governor Abilio Soares officiated at the open-air ceremony at which the red and white national flag was raised and national anthem sung in a parade square filled with ranks of civil servants, police, soldiers and uniformed children. As the ceremony began some 100 people, including 40 in black T-shirts of the Aitarak pro-Indonesian militia emblazoned with the word "Autonomy," paraded behind them along the waterfront. East Timorese are scheduled to vote in a landmark poll on August 30 on whether they accept or reject an offer of broad autonomy under the Indonesian flag. Jakarta has said it may grant independence to the former Portuguese colony that was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 if its people reject the offer. "Don't forget - Vote autonomy" read a banner waved by one of the militia. Among the dignitaries at the ceremony were Ian Martin, the chief of the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) which is organizing the vote, and the local police and military chiefs. "Who says it's the last independence day commemoration?," Governor Soares said to journalists after the ceremony. "For you maybe, but for the people of East Timor, there will always be (more) because we will remain in the embrace of the motherland ... This is also a proclamation of independence of East Timorese." Ambassador Agus Tarmizi, the head of the Indonesian task force assigned to monitor the vote for Jakarta sounded less sure. "I'm very touched," Tarmizi said, adding "God Willing" when asked if he thought Tuesday would be the last celebration of Indonesian national day in the territory. Though the ceremony passed without incident, a bullet was fired at the office of a pro-independence office in a commercial section of Dili before dawn Tuesday. Residents said the shots were believed to have been fired by pro-Indonesian militias roaming the city after a late-night party. Two cartridge cases were found in the street outside the office of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), where there was a bullet hole in a second storey window facing the street. The office in the commercial Audion district, was empty at the time. David Ximenes, CNRT coordinator, showed journalists two brass cartridge cases of what appeared to be rifle bullets and a flattened grey slug. The vote has twice been delayed because of tensions between supporters and opponents of independence. UNAMET has laid most of the blame for the violence on pro-Indonesian militia. In Jakarta meanwhile the government announced that it had shaved five months off a 20-year prison sentence handed down to jailed CNRT leader Xanana Gusmao. The Indonesian government has rebuffed international pleas to release Gusmao ahead of the vote to enable him to campaign for independence, saying that he will only be freed once the East Timor issue is solved. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 17 Aug 1999 jam 10:43:02 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
