SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENTS ON EAST TIMOR
Press Release
SG/SM/6876
SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENTS ON EAST TIMOR
19990127 The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Kofi Annan:The Secretary-General welcomes the reports of two major announcements made in Jakarta with regard to the question of East Timor.
1. The prospect of transferring the imprisoned leader of the National Council of Timorese Resistance, Xanana Gusmao, to residential detention.
2. The reported willingness of the Indonesian Government to countenance the possibility of independence for East Timor, if this were the wish of the people of the Territory.
The United Nations is in the process of ascertaining the details of these reports. The Secretary-General has for some time now been urging the Indonesian Government to release Xanana Gusmao, whose role in the political process is of paramount importance. The Secretary-General hopes that it will soon be possible for Xanana Gusmao to actively participate in the political dialogue. In the meantime, the tripartite talks, which resume on 28 January 1999, will continue to discuss the United Nations autonomy proposal. These discussions will doubtless take into account the latest developments.
The Secretary-General would once again like to underline the need for maintaining peace and avoiding unnecessary violence and bloodshed in East Timor. He urges all parties concerned to show the maximum restraint and political wisdom in dealing with this important period of transition.
The Secretary-General remains committed to assisting all the parties concerned in their desire to find a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution to the question of East Timor.
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