Indonesia training Timor refugees

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 15

Indonesia training Timor refugees

fA’.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) JAKARTA, October 3. 1 he. Indonesian Army newspaper, “Berita Yudha. said today that refugees from East Timor had started military training in Indonesia for an invasion of the Portuguese colony. 1 he refugees, including former Portuguese soldiers and policemen, were training in Indonesian West Timor, it said, but gave no other details.

They were preparing “to invade their hometowns now being occupied by the Fretilin bands,” “Berita Yudha” said.

Fretilin — the revolutionary Front for an Indepen-

dent East Timor — claims to control the Portuguese territory.

But “Berita Yudha” today said that the pro-Indonesian guerrillas were fighting Fretilin forces near Dili, capital of East Timor.

The newspaper did not identify the pro-Indonesian guerrillas, but it is believed to refer to forces of the more conservative Timor Democratic Union (U.D.T.) and the People’s Democratic Association of Timor (Apodeti) which favours integration with Indonesia. A group of young members of a Government-spon-

sored youth group has given away that it could seize the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. unless they are assured that the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra will not be occupied by Australian protesters again. The occupation of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra was prompted by reports that Indonesian troops based on the western half of Timor had attacked a Fretilin base across the border.

The Indonesian youth group's warning was delivered by a party of 25 members to the Australian Ambassador (Mr Richard Woolcott).

After they were told their protest would be conveyed to Canberra, the demonstrators left peacefully. Later, 100 members of the same group — the National Youth Movement — briefly occupied the Portuguese Embassy in Jakarta. Informed sources reported that the U.D.T. had finally agreed to meet Fretilin for peace talks organised by Portugal, but only on certain conditions. These conditions included permission to bring security guards, freedom to approach other organisations, legal advice, and an advance list of the Portuguese delegates to the talks, for which a site and date have yet to be decided. [Leading article, Page 14]