First, on a personal note, I have been working on East Timorese issues for 19 years, since I first visited the island as a congressional staffer. This is the first time in that 19 year period that I am optimistic that there is a basis for a political settlement. I believe that the Habibie government deserves enormous credit for having come up with several different proposals that serve as a basis for serious negotiations. The Indonesian government, both the president and foreign minister, have described the proposals at great length, and I won't attempt to speak for them. But the point I want to emphasize is that there is now a serious negotiation process underway.
Many ideas are on the table.
Undoubtedly many more ideas will emerge as the negotiations continue. Foreign Minister Alatas is on his way to New York for important discussions under UN auspices, and we will see what happens in those negotiations in the next few months. But I think this is a very different period than we have faced for most of the past 22 years, when there was not a serious negotiating process underway and there was no flexibility on the part of the government. Having said all that, let me also make it clear that my government is very concerned about the increase in violence on the ground, the deterioration in the situation on East Timor itself. I discussed this at great length, including with General Wiranto.