US embassy cable - 99JAKARTA1577

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001577 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 3/24/09 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, ID, UN 
SUBJECT:  XANANA GUSMAO LETTER TO THE SECRETARY 
 
REF: A) STATE 47684, B) JAKARTA 1413 
 
1.  CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE MICHAEL P. OWENS, REASON, 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
2. FOLLOWING IS A LETTER FROM EAST TIMORESE RESISTANCE 
LEADER XANANA GUSMAO TO THE SECRETARY, IN RESPONSE TO 
THE SECRETARY'S LETTER OF MARCH 19 (REF A).  THE 
ORIGINAL IS BEING FORWARDED BY POUCH: 
 
SALEMBA, MARCH 22, 1999 
 
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
2201 C STREET, NW 
WASHINGTON, DC 20520 
 
DEAR MADAME SECRETARY, 
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 19.  YOUR WORDS ARE 
OF GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT AND CERTAINLY REINFORCE OUR 
COMMITMENT FOR PEACE IN EAST TIMOR AS OUR HUMBLE 
CONTRIBUTION TO A STABLE AND PEACEFUL SOUTHEAST ASIA. 
 
I WILL RECALL OUR MEETING AS A MEMORABLE OPPORTUNITY TO 
SHARE A MOMENT OF FREEDOM WITH SOMEONE WHO SO CLEARLY 
UNDERSTANDS ITS MEANING.  IT WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO 
VOICE THE YEARNINGS OF MY PEOPLE FOR PEACE AND 
RECONCILIATION AND, ABOVE ALL, PEACE OF MIND TO SECURE 
A FREE AND DIGNIFIED LIFE FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN. 
 
I ALSO WISH TO EXPRESS OUR INTEREST IN STAYING IN CLOSE 
AND REGULAR TOUCH WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND 
AMBASSADOR J. STAPLETON ROY.  MY PERSONAL ASSISTANT, 
MS. KIRSTY SWORD, WILL ENSURE THE CONTACT BETWEEN 
THE US EMBASSY IN JAKARTA AND MY OFFICE. 
 
REPORTS FROM EAST TIMOR ARE UNFORTUNATELY DEPICTING AN 
ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION AS WELL AS AN 
INCREASE OF ARMED MILITIAS GROUPS (NAMELY IN LOSPALOS 
AND SAME). 
 
THE PEACE AND RECONCILIATION PROCESS IS FACING NEW 
SETBACKS AFTER THE EXPOSURE OF THE POLITICAL MANEUVERING 
BY GOVERNOR ABILIO OSORIO SOARES AND MR. GIL ALVES, 
PRESIDENT OF KLIBUR.  THE DOCUMENT, WHICH REVEALED THEIR 
INSINCERE INTENTIONS IN THE RECONCILIATION DIALOGUE ALSO 
PROVES ABRI (THE INDONESIAN MILITARY) AND DEPLU (THE 
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS) BACK THEIR ACTION AND 
STRATEGY. 
 
THEY RECENTLYHELD A MEETING WITH A GROUP OF TEN 
INDONESIAN GENERALS IN WHICH SEVEN STATED THEY WOULD 
RESPECT A DECISION TAKEN BY THE PEOPLE OF EAST TIMOR 
WHILE THREE, INCLUDING MR. ZACHY ANWAR (FORMER HEAD 
OF BIA)(MILITARY INTELLIGENCE), SUPPORT THE ONGOING WAR 
AGAINST DEFENSELESS CIVILIANS. 
 
WE INSIST THAT THE TWO CATHOLIC BISHOPS, MONS. XIMENES 
BELO AND MONS. BASILIO DO NASCIMENTO, LEAD THE PEACE AND 
RECONCILIATION PROCESS.  NO ONE ELSE GATHERS SIMILAR 
CONSENSUS, POLITICAL CREDIBILITY AND LEGITIMACY.  WE 
ARE ALSO SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS CARRIED OUT BY KOMNASHAM 
(THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION) TO FACILITATE 
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE EAST TIMORESE, TO SET UP A BROAD- 
BASED PEACE AND STABILITY COUNCIL. 
 
WE SUPPORT THE TWO CATHOLIC BISHOPS' STANCE ON 
DEVELOPING THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS IN DILI RATHER 
THAN JAKARTA AND URGE THAT PRESSURE BE EXERTED UPON 
JAKARTA TO ENABLE MY PRESENCE IN DILI TO PARTICIPATE 
IN A FUTURE MEETING CONVENED BY THE BISHOPS. 
 
WE INSIST ON THE NEED TO DISARM AND DISBAND THE ARMED 
MILITIA GROUPS.  WE ARE AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTIES THIS 
WILL RAISE GIVEN THE SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT GRANTED BY 
JAKATA AND ABRI.  UNFORTUNATELY SUCH A SITUATION HAS 
FORCED ME TO SHIFT MY CALL FOR A UN POLICE FORCE TO A 
UN PEACE KEEPING FORCE.  THE ACTION CARRIED OUT BY THESE 
GROUPS IS NOT WARFARE AGAINST AN ARMED COUNTERPART.  IT 
IS COLD-BLOODED MURDER AGAINST DEFENSELESS CIVILIANS, 
SUCH AS THE MALIANA KILLINGS TWO DAYS AGO, WHERE TWO 
ELEVEN YEAR OLD CHILDREN WERE SHOT. 
 
WE FULLY AGREE WITH AND HIGHLY APPRECIATE THE POINTS 
YOU RAISED AS ON-GOING EFFORTS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF 
VIOLENCE IN THE TERRITORY.  WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO USE 
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND 
ADMIRATION FOR YOUR WORDS AND SPEECH "INDONESIA, THE 
UNITED STATES AND DEMOCRACY," ADDRESSED IN JAKARTA 
BEFORE LEAVING INDONESIA.  WE AGREE THAT ONLY AN 
IMMEDIATE REDUCTION OF ABRI'S PRESENCE IN EAST TIMOR 
WILL ENABLE ITS FUTURE PARTICIPATION IN A UN PEACE 
KEEPING FORCE AND THAT ONLY A DEMOCRATIC AND CREDIBLE 
MECHANISM TO DETERMINE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WILL 
LAST AND SUCCEED. 
 
WE ARE CERTAIN THAT WITH YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND 
COMMITMENT TO PEACE IN EAST TIMOR IT WILL BECOME A 
REALITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.  WE PLEDGE OUR COMMITMENT TO 
ENSURE THAT THE FREEDOM OF EAST TIMOR AND THE BIRTH OF 
OUR NEW NATION WILL BE YET ANOTHER FIRM STEP IN THE 
DIRECTION OF PEACE AND COOPERATION IN THIS TROUBLED 
REGION OF THE WORLD. 

 
SINCERELY 
KAY RALA XANANA GUSMAO 
 
3.  COMMENT: IN OUR VIEW, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POINTS IN 
XANANA'S LETTER ARE: 
 
-- AN INSISTENCE THAT THE TWO BISHOPS TAKE THE LEAD IN 
RECONCILIATION EFFORTS (WHICH CONFIRMS EARLIER REPORTS - 
REF B), AND HIS DESIRE TO ATTEND ANY RESULTING CHURCH- 
SPONSORED FORUM IN EAST TIMOR. 
 
-- HIS REITERATION OF SUPPORT FOR KOMNASHAM'S PROPOSED 
PEACE AND STABILITY COUNCIL.  (OTHERS ON THE PRO- 
INDEPENDENCE SIDE ARE LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT A 
KOMNASHAM ROLE.) 
 
-- A CALL FOR A UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE.  XANANA 
PREVIOUSLY HAD EXPRESSED PREFERENCE FOR A RELATIVELY 
SMALL UN POLICE CONTINGENT. 
 
-- HIS CALL FOR A REDUCED ABRI PRESENCE.  UNLIKE SOME ON 
THE PRO-INDEPENDENCE SIDE, XANANA STOPS SHORT OF 
DEMANDING A TOTAL ABRI WITHDRAWAL BEFORE THE VOTING 
PROCESS AND EVEN SUGGESTS THAT ABRI COULD BE PART OF A 
"PEACEKEEPING FORCE." 
 
4.   XANANA'S UNCHARACTERISTICALLY UNDIPLOMATIC DIATRIBE 
AGAINST GOVERNOR ABILIO SOARES AND SOARES' BROTHER-IN- 
LAW GIL ALVES STEMS FROM HIS BELIEF THAT HE WAS DECEIVED 
ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE LATTER'S "RECONCILIATION 
DIALOGUE," WHICH WAS TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE MARCH 19-20 IN 
JAKARTA (REF B).  XANANA APPARENTLY HAD AGREED TO ATTEND 
THE MEETING AFTER BEING GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS 
WAS AN ATTEMPT TO START A DIALOGUE BETWEEN PRO AND ANTI- 
INDEPENDENCE FORCES.  HE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT 
SOARES AND ALVES, IN A FUNDING REQUEST TO THE DEPARTMENT 
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HAD PORTRAYED THE FORUM'S PURPOSE AS 
PROMOTING THE AUTONOMY OPTION.  THERE CURRENTLY IS A 
SEEMINGLY UNBRIDGEABLE DIVIDE BETWEEN THE PRO AND ANTI- 
INDEPENDENCE FORCES IN REGARD TO THE CONCEPT OF 
"RECONCILIATION."  XANANA'S SIDE SEES RECONCILIATION AS 
CONVINCING THE PRO-INTEGRATION FORCES TO ACCOMMODATE 
THEMSELVES TO THE REALITY OF INEVITABLE INDEPENDENCE, 
WHILE THE PRO-INTEGRATIONISTS DEFINE IT AS LEADING TO A 
COMPROMISE SOLUTION BETWEEN OUTRIGHT INDEPENDENCE AND 
THE STATUS QUO, I.E., AUTONOMY.  XANANA'S CRITICISM OF 
ZACHY ANWAR IS IN CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS INDICATIONS THAT 
ZACHY (WHO HAS MET WITH XANANA ON AT LEAST TWO 
OCCASIONS) HAD ESTABLISHED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH 
XANANA AND WAS PLAYING A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN PROMOTING 
RECONCILIATION EFFORTS. 
 
OWENS