Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 25 February 1975, page 1


Political refugees 'flock' to Indonesian

Timor

; JAKARTA, Monday (AAP-Reuter). — Indonesia's semi-official news agency Antara reported, today that hundreds of political .refugees from the Portuguese colony on Timor Island had crossed over to the Indonesian half, as a result of intimidation by leftist forces in the colony.

'Owoting 1 a ■ roving correspondent ■ from 'Attamuya, on the Indonesian side of the' border,, the agency said, ten-, sion was mounting. in Portuguese Timor, where effective control was now in the hands of 'leftist forces.

• While a Portuguese Embassy spokesman in Jakarta said latest reports ihowed the situation in Vinidr to be calm, events have been moving swiftly fever the past few weeks.

On January 22 the two main political parlies on the colony, both seeking eventual independence, formed an alliance which , was clearly aimed at iso

lating the third party, Apodeti, which supports the colony's total integration with Indonesia.

The two parties, the Left-leaning Revolutionary'Front for Timor East (Fretilin) and the Democratic Union of Timor (UDT) agreed in a joint statement on "the rejection of the idea of integration into any foreign country, particularly In

donesia".

Election

postponement

Though the two parties are thought .. to have about equal support, Indonesian sources 'said the language of the statement was that used by Fretilin, accused by Indonesia .of being communist.

Indonesia is known, to tie very concerned at the prospect of a left-wing independent eastern Timor, an economically poor country right on its doorstep, which it would see as easy prey for satellite-seeking big powers or insurgent groups operating in the area..

Last week the alliance parties called for the indefinite postponement of general elections to a constituent assembly, ■which Lisbon had proposed as a first step to

self-determination.

Antara reported also that the Governor of Timor, whom at least one ' high-ranking official in

Jakarta, has described privately as a Maoist, recently issued a permit to Fretilin to buy arms.

• Indonesian Defence Ministry officials dismissed today as totally untrue Australian newspaper reports that Indonesia planned to Invade Portugese Timor within the next few weeks.

An official in the Defence Ministry said in reply to a question that the reports were "false, totally without foundation".

Strategic headaches. —

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