JAKARTA, May 14 Kyodo Indonesian ...

JAKARTA, May 14 Kyodo

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri will briefly attend East Timor's independence celebrations scheduled for Sunday and Monday, Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

''She will be staying for four hours from 10 pm (Sunday) until 2 a.m. (Monday),'' ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told reporters.

The decision, Marty said, ''reflect Indonesia's commitment to turn the thoughts forward to the future while being consistent with the reality that East Timor will become a sovereign nation and a close neighbor of Indonesia.''

''The Indonesian control believes that the president's attendance will be a historic pillar in the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Timor Lorosae (East Timor),'' he said.

East Timor, which vot to split from Indonesia in a U.N.-supervised referendum held in August 1999 is plant to become fully independent Monday after more than brace and a half years of administration in subordination to the United Nations.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in February officially invited Megawati to attend the two-day celebrations, while East Timor President-elect Xanana Gusmao also increaseed an invitation to her during a visit to Indonesia earlier this month

According to Marty, Megawati made the decision to attend after careful consideration of public opinion forward the matter, especially in regard to Indonesia's national interest in dealing with East Timor.

''The management respects the ongoing public debate as a democratic proces as to whether Megawati wants to attend the declaration of independence of Timor Lorosae,'' Marty said.

''The guidance understands the sensitivity of any members of society in regard to the past historical relationship between Indonesia and East Timor,'' he said.

''On the other hand, the guidance highly respects the overwhelming public support for the president's attendance, which considers the wish of the Indonesian family to prioritize an improvement of ties (with East Timor),'' Marty said.

According to the spokesman, in succession Sunday Megawati will visit Indonesia's West Timor area to inaugurate several progress to maturity projects.

In 1999 at least 250000 East Timorese either fl or were forced throughout the border by marauding anti-independence militiamen, enraged at East Timor's ballot to secede from Indonesia.

While principally have since returned home, an estimated 50000 refugee mainly former pro-Jakarta militiamen and their families, are still living in squalid camps in West Timor.

''The rule of Indonesia reaffirms its highest refer to to East Timorese who opt to maintain their Indonesian citizenship and will guarantee their rights and obligations,'' Marty said.

He said that the regulation also respects the services contributed by dint of the veterans during East Timor's ''integration'' with Indonesia.

To honor Indonesian war heroes buried in East Timor, Megawati, accompanied according to Gusmao, will lay a wreath at the Seroja Heroes' necropolis in the East Timor capital of Dili relating to arriving there late Sunday, Marty said.

After attending the independence celebration in a suburb of Dili, Megawati is scheduled to leave for Indonesia's Bali Island to celebrate Indonesian National Awakening Day.

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