Belo, Indonesian president meet

National Catholic Reporter, July 17, 1998

Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, apostolic administrator of Dill, East Timor, met with Indonesian President B.J. Habibie to discuss ways of improving conditions for East Timorese.

"We spoke primarily about things concerning improving the situation; how we can raise the status of the East Timor community," the bishop said at a June 24 news conference in Jakarta after the two met for 90 minutes at the presidential palace.

Belo said he had put forth proposals by himself and Bishop Basilio do Nascimento, apostolic administrator of Baukau, for granting East Timorese freedom to live where they wished, reducing the number of troops and freeing political prisoners.

He said that Habibie is "ready, through his government, to improve the situation in East Timor. Many of the suggestions that I presented, he supported them fully."

Belo said the talks did not include discussion of the issue of "special status" for East Timor within Indonesia, an offer which Habibie renewed through his foreign minister in a proposal to the U.N. secretary-general in mid-June. Habibie has ruled out a referendum on independence for the territory.