DARE II "SORU MUTU BA DAME NEON IDA DEIT"

(Ed. Note : The independence vote in East Timor have been postponed to late August. In Jakarta, talks between rival Timorese political factions sponsored by the Catholic Church have come to an agreement about disarmament ahead of the planned referendum. The following is the joint agreement between East Timorese fractions released on 25 June 1999 )

Preamble

With Praise to God, the Almighty, who offers life and peace to mankind; With deep concern for the sufferings of the people of Timor Lorosae; Aware of the responsibility to find a lasting settlement of the question of Timor Lorosae in a critical moment of its history; Inspired by recent developments, globally as well as within Indonesia, in human rights and democracy, With sincere appreciation of the efforts of the Church in Timor Lorosae, in particular the efforts of Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and Bishop Basilio do Nascimento, to initiate and promote dialogue and reconciliation; Grateful to the Government of Indonesia for its endorsement of choice of Jakarta as the venue for Dare II; With similar thanks to friendly nations, non governmental organisations and Church organisations for the moral and material support that has made Dare II possible; Recognising the efforts of the international community, through the United Nations, to settle the question of Timor Lorosae in a manner that is peaceful and acceptable to all parties, in accordance with the Agreement of May 5, 1999; Recognising the need to reaffirm previous commitments to peace and reconciliation; We, the participants of Dare II, declare our determination, before God and future generations of Timor Lorosae, to;

• establish a platform of common positions with the purpose of finding a durable solution to the question of Timor Lorosae,

• develop a deeper understanding of our positions with a view expanding the platform of common positions.
  

Points of Convergence

I. Politics

1. Timor Lorosae is facing a new era of transparency, democracy and globalisation, in Indonesia and throughout the world.
2. Timor Lorosae has a history of political strife filled with conflict and violence that has had an impact on all levels of social life.
3. Political change in Indonesia and international developments, both geopolitical as well as those that are occurring within the United Nations, have contributed to an acceleration of the process of seeking a final, comprehensive resolution of the Timor Lorosae question that is acceptable to the international community.
4. Every individual in Timor Lorosae has civil, political, social, culture, religious and economic rights.

II. Security

1. To observe the bilateral agreement signed on June 18, 1999.
2. To declare that the Indonesian Police Force (Polri) is the only authority responsible for security and public order during the entire popular consultation process, in accordance with the agreement of May 5, 1999.

III. Reconciliation

1. All parties agree on the need for reconciliation.
2. Only dialogue and true reconciliation can develop consensus, making it possible to avoid conflict, and guaranteeing social life in an atmosphere of democracy, in which differences in ideas and perceptions are respected.
3. The must be an on-going dialogue process involving all political opinions and aspirations, in order to build a climate of tolerance.

IV. Popular Consultation

1. To emphasize the importance of all parties giving priority to the interests of the people of Timor Lorosae, in the process of conducting the popular consultation.
2. There must be good coordination with UNAMET and all responsible parties involved in the process of conducting the popular consultation.
3. The Indonesian Police must play a constructive role.
4. All involved parties must respect all signed agreements, by fully supporting UNAMET in carrying out its UN mandate.
5. Urges UNAMET to maintain its neutrality throughout the process of the popular consultation.
6. Urges the Armed Forces of Indonesia to be absolutely neutral throughout the process of the popular consultation, in accordance with the agreement of May 5, 1999.
7. Agree to accept the officially validated outcome of the popular consultation, in accordance with the agreement of May 5, 1999.