Fretilin offers to talk peace

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33942, 8 September 1975, Page 13

Fretilin offers to talk peace

Press Assn—Copyright) DARWIN, Sept. 7. A leading member of Fretilin, the Timorese independence party, stranded in Australia since the outbreak of hostilities in East Timor, has made a return trip to Dili, the capital, and brought back his party’s conditions for negotiations. The secretary-general of the political committee of Fretilin (Mr Jose Ramos Horta) said in Darwin today that Fretilin was willing to release Portuguese people held in East Timor, and to

begin talks with Portuguese' envoys in Canberra this month. The leader of the Portuguese peace mission, Dr Antonio de Almeida Santos, said later that Canberra was unsuitable as a venue for the talks.

“Another Portuguese territory would be preferable,” he said.

Dr Santos was speaking shortly before leaving Darwin for the island of Atuaro, at present the seat of the East Timor Colonial Government.

He indicated that messages had passed between Fretilin and the Portuguese peace mission through Mr Horta and through “other means.”

Sources in Darwin said a Fretilin radio message to the Portuguese mission was received in Darwin early yesterday similar to the message brought by Mr Horta. Dr Santos said he might return from Atuaro today, but this would depend on progress made by the mission on the island. Mr Horta confirmed that he was acting as a gobetween for the Portuguese and Fretilin. Sources in Darwin said that he travelled to Dili in a chartered light aircraft yesterday morning and returned to Darwin with a message from the Fretilin leadership late last night.

He then had talks with Dr Santos until about 1 a.m. this morning.

Mr Horta said: “The Portuguese flag is still flying over East Timor. Fretilin recognises the Portuguese Government as the only authority in East Timor. It is willing immediately to release prisoners.” The Singapore office of the news agency, Agence FrancePresse, yesterday received a telegram from Dili offering Lisbon officials talks on Timorese independence. It was believed to have come from Fretilin. Sources in Jakarta said today that Indonesian troops along the border between East Timor and Indonesian West Timor had been put on the alert and might have to consider striking at Fretilin positions if Fretilin troops continued their advance to the border.

Officials in Jakarta, who have made it clear that Indonesia cannot tolerate the colony’s falling into proCommunist or Leftist hands, said the talks proposed by Fretilin would constitute unilateral action since they would not include other political parties in the territory.

Forces of the rival Timor Democratic Union (U.D.T.) were reported to be on the retreat in many parts of the territory.

The other political group, Apodeti, which wants the territory to merge with Indonesia, has been less involved in the fighting.

A number of U.D.T. men in the eastern part of the colony had been surrounded by Fretilin forces and had surrendered, the sources in Jakarta said.