RI STILL QUESTIONING 'ELEMENTS' HAVING LINKS WITH REINADO

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 22 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is still waiting for clarifications about whom Timor Leste President Ramos Horta meant when he said "elements in Indonesia" had had contacts with rebel leader Alfredo Reinado.

        Ramos Horta was quoted by the Associated Press as saying in Dili recently there was a possibility rebel army officer Alfredo Reinado, who had tried to assassinate him in an armed attack on his residence but was himself killed in an ensuing shootout, had "a lot of contacts ... with elements in Indonesia".

        Horta was shot in the stomach during the pre-dawn attack on February 11, 2008 on his Dili home by rebel soldiers led by Alfredo Reinado.

        Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda who earlier challenged Horta to provide evidence on his statement said on Monday Indonesia was waiting for explanations from Timor Leste on who were the 'elements' referred to by the Timor Leste president.

        "We want to hear whether the problem referred to as 'elements' by President Ramos Horta has been overcome," Wirajuda said referring to the arrest by Indonesian police of three Timor Leste citizens last Friday.

        The arrest was made based on information provided by the Timor Leste government.

        "We rely on the information given by the Timor Leste government as to what it has meant by 'elements'. We don't know whether or not the elements meant are the ones we have arrested or whether there are others," the minister said.

        The three Timor Leste citizens who were arrested by the Indonesian police were Egidio Lay Carvalho, Jose Gomes and Ismail Sansao Moniz Soares. They had entered Indonesia illegally.

        Last week, in New York, Wirajuda challenged Horta to provide evidence on his allegation. "If Timor Leste can provide evidence, we will be ready to take follow up actions on the allegation," he said.

        He said the Indonesian government had an open mind. If there was information, for instance on phone calls or money transfers, it should be given to the Indonesian government. With such information it's easy to trace the people involved, he said.

        Also in reaction to Horta's allegation, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked Timor Leste leaders not to issue any statement that could be interpreted as if there had been elements in Indonesia possibly involved in the shooting on February 11, 2008 of President Jose Ramos Horta.

        Yudhoyono said he talked with Ramos Horta on April 10 when the Timor Leste leader was being treated in Australia for gunshot wounds.

        "In the phone talk, Ramos Horta briefed me on the investigation being conducted into the shooting incident and asked for assistance from the Indonesian government," Yudhoyono said.

        Indonesia sent two high-ranking police officers to Dili on April 13 and April 15 to collect information from the Prosecutor General of Timor Leste and to analyze the information together.

        Based on the information, the Indonesian police acted swiftly to locate the suspects. Everything happened quickly, professionally and in a high spirit of cooperation, he said.

        "That is why, I was a bit surprised to hear President Ramos Horta's statement because it was my understanding that the telephone conversation on April 10 was not for public knowledge yet. I instructed my ministers and police chief not to disclose the information to the public in order to give an opportunity to the Indonesian police to hunt the suspects," he said.

        The three suspects, identified as Egidio Lay Carvalho, Jose Gomes, and Ismail Sansao Moniz Soares, are all members of the military of Timor Leste, who have been involved in rebellious activities, and suspected of involvement in the shooting incident.

        Yet, it is not clear who were the 'elements' Horta referred to in his statement when he arrived in Dili from Australia last week.

        According to Australian television and radio station ABC on Friday last week, Ramos Horta also accused Indonesian Metro TV journalist Desi Anwar of having assisted Alfredo Reinado to visit Indonesia for an interview in May 2007.

        The station in a report quoted Horta as saying he had strong evidence that Anwar, in cooperation with officials in East Nusatenggara (NTT), had helped Reinado obtain fake documents to travel to Indonesia.

        Desi Anwar denied the president's allegation, however, saying it was absolutely ridiculous and nonsense. "This is ridiculous, illogical and not true," she was quoted by ANTARA News Agency as saying.

        She expressed regret that a president had made allegations without evidence and accurate data. As a head of state, Horta should have obtained accurate information. "As a president, Horta should have been given accurate inputs," Anwar said adding she hoped the Timor Leste president was convalescing well. "I wish him a speedy recovery," she said.

        Horta said what Metro TV and "other elements in Indonesia" had done had also contributed to the attempt on his life last February 11.

        In the meantime, the Indonesian Army stressed on Tuesday that no serviceman in Indonesia had had any contact with Alfredo Reinado.

        "None of them have had any contact with him. Indonesian army members (in East Nusatenggara bordering Timor Leste) only have the duty to guard the border and they are not allowed to enter the neighboring country," Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo said.

        He said all soldiers of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) always followed regulations, including in carrying out government policies to uphold national sovereignty and secure the borders with Timor Leste.

        "No Indonesian military man is involved. Soldiers follow rules. They only guard the border areas," Agustadi said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/19:35/a014)