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'New relationship' for East Timor
Xanana Gusmao was released from this prison less than three months ago |
East Timorese independence leader Xanana Gusmao and Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid have agreed to turn their backs on the violence of the past and look forward to a new era of co-operation, following talks on Tuesday.
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"We are committed to do our best to create a co-operative, friendly and a good relationship" he said.
Mr Gusmao, accompanied by Nobel peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, met Mr Wahid at the presidential palace at the end of his first visit to Jakarta since Indonesia relinquished control of the disputed territory in October.
The two leaders agreed to turn the page on two decades of bloodshed |
He said that the two countries "can now continue to look into the future and forget the past". He did not believe Indonesia should have to "retaliate or compensate" for past deeds.
Mr Gusmao agreed that what happened in the past should not affect their future relationship, but added the legal pursuit of those responsible for the violence in East Timor should be left to the "right instances".
Plight of refugees
The two leaders also discussed the issue of the more than 130,000 refugees still stranded in West Timor since the election violence that swept through the territory last October.
Indonesian military authorities and the multinational force in East Timor on Monday agreed to speed up the repatriation of the refugees, especially those crossing the land border.
 We are open to the Indonesian people  |
| Xanana Gusmao |
He also asked Mr Wahid to resume air links between Dili and Denpasar, on the island of Bali. Mr Wahid said he would ask commercial companies to open the route once a week, and that Indonesian military planes could assume the link in the meantime.
President Wahid has offered to help in the reconstruction of East Timor |
The BBC's correspondent in Jakarta, Jonathan Head, says the meeting, which included a Falantil resistance fighter on his first ever visit to the capital, is a sign of how much things have changed in Jakarta recently.
Jail
Earlier in the day Mr Gusmao visited Cipinang jail where he had been held as a political prisoner for most of his seven-years of detention. He was released in September from a 20-year term imposed for plotting against the state and illegal possession of weapons.
"We had pain, bitterness, sweet memories and other things together here" he told the 18 East Timorese still held in the jail.
He appealed to Mr Wahid to arrange their release date, which has already been agreed in principle.
Mr Wahid agreed but said it would have to wait till his return from an official trip to China later this week.
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See also: |
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30 Nov 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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Indonesia withdraws troops from Moluccas |
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29 Nov 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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Indonesia 'responsible' for Timor destruction |
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27 Oct 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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UN wants $200m for East Timor |
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03 Nov 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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UN teams snatch Timor refugees |
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06 Oct 99 | East Timor |
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Bishop Belo: Timor's spiritual leader |
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22 Oct 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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Picture Gallery: Gusmao comes home |
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23 Oct 99 | Asia-Pacific |
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'Day of freedom' for Timor |
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Internet links: |
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TimorNet |
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East Timor International Support Centre |
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UN Mission in East Timor |
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East Timor Human Rights Centre |
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