FRETILIN Will Continue to Oppose Asylum Centre in Timor-Leste

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Karlis Salna, AAP South-East Asia Correspondent

AAP- March 3, 2011

East Timor's main opposition party has reaffirmed its objections to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's regional refugee processing centre plan, vowing to make it a key issue at possible elections later this year.

Fretilin MP Jose Teixeira on Thursday said that while East Timor was committed to honouring its international humanitarian obligations, it was more "appropriate and feasible" for a regional processing centre to be built in Australia.

"After all, it is Australia that these asylum seekers are looking to find a new life in. Australia has both the space and financial (means) and other resources to better deal with this issue than we in Timor-Leste," he told AAP.

"Others should bear their own, instead of seeking to thrust them on others such as ourselves," he said.

While negotiations about Ms Gillard's proposal with the government of East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao are ongoing, the plan is also opposed by members of his ruling but shaky coalition, which is made up of four parties.

With elections widely expected to be held later this year, it's also possible the powerful Fretilin party could in back government, scuppering the plan altogether.

Mr Teixeira said Fretilin's position was very clear and that the party would continue to oppose the building of an asylum seeker processing centre in East Timor.

"Fretilin will maintain this position at the next elections," he said.

The comments came after Malaysian Prime Minister Razak Najib, during a media conference in Canberra on Thursday, said his country while remaining open to the idea also had reservations, pointing to divisions in East Timor regarding the proposal.

"We need a bit of time to study Australia's proposal but we will be as positive as we can," Mr Najib said.

Mr Teixeira called on Mr Gusmao to clarify his position, saying he had remained largely silent on the proposal.

"This has created uncertainty in the minds of many as to what precisely the Timor-Leste's government position is on the issue. He must clarify what his position is," Mr Teixeira said.

"It is of course reasonable also to suggest that his silence may well be acquiescent to the possibility of such a concept. We cannot rule that out at this stage.

"Fretilin will review the situation in the unlikely event that the current Timor-Leste government gives in to Australia's desire to go down this line."

The processing centre plan is expected to be discussed at a regional level by foreign ministers, including Kevin Rudd, in Bali later this month.
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