---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- also: Irish FM to lead EU observers' mission to East Timor Three-way meeting on East Timor in Lisbon Thursday LISBON, Aug 24 (AFP) - Representatives of Portugal, Indonesia and the United Nations are to meet in Lisbon Thursday for the last time before a referendum on whether to grant independence to East Timor, a former Portuguese colony invaded by Indonesia and then annexed 24 years ago. This final, 27th meeting of the three parties on the matter will, sources close to the Portuguese participants said, try to overcome differences which emerged during their previous meeting, on August 13 in Jakarta. The Portuguese delegation, led by the ambassador Fernando Neves, will be seeking the release of the East Timor resistance leader Xanana Gusmao before the vote so that he can take part in it. The head of the Indonesian delegation, Nugroho Wisnumurti, for his part argued, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, that the pro-independence leader faced harassment if he was released and that Indonesia would then be held responsible. Senior officials from the two countries, together with the special UN envoy Jamsheed Marker, also have to tackle the question of security for the referendum exercise. The Portuguese govenrment is insisting on knowing what concrete measures the Indonesians plan in addition to those already promised. Portugal is expected to reiterate its readiness to provide the necessary financial and human resources for a transition period following the vote. ------------- Irish FM to lead EU observers' mission to East Timor HELSINKI, Aug 24 (AFP) - Irish Foreign Minister David Andrews will head a European Union mission to observe the August 30 referendum in East Timor, EU president Finland announced Tuesday. A statement issued by the foreign ministry here said that Andrews would be joined by four Finnish representatives: two members of Finland's parliament, one member of the European parliament and one official from the foreign ministry. East Timor is scheduled to vote Monday on whether to accept an Indonesian offer of autonomy under the Indonesian flag. If the autonomy offer is rejected, Jakarta, whose troops invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975, has pledged to propose to the People's Consultative Assembly -- Indonesia's highest legislative body -- that it give East Timor its independence. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 25 Aug 1999 jam 00:04:55 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
