Indonesia to give East Timor residents a vote on their future
DILI, East Timor -- After 23 years of brutal rule, Jakarta has agreed to give the people of East Timor what many had long fought for -- a vote on their future.
In United Nations-sponsored talks with Portugal, Jakarta agreed to let the East Timorese vote on whether to accept an offer of enhanced autonomy within Indonesia. Rejection could open the way for independence -- an outcome closely eyed by other separatist groups in the archipelago.
Most people in the streets of the capital, Dili, welcomed news of the vote yesterday but said they feared further violence and intimidation if it took place before the Indonesian military had withdrawn.
Prominent dissident arrested in Vietnam
HANOI, Vietnam -- A prominent Vietnamese dissident has been arrested for allegedly possessing documents critical of the ruling Communist Party, human rights groups say.
The reported arrest of Nguyen Thanh Giang comes a few months after several dissidents were released from prison as part of a far-reaching amnesty, sparking hopes that Vietnam might be loosening its policies.
Pope blames rich countries for world's ecological woes
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II said yesterday that rich countries concerned with profits were in large part to blame for the world's ecological problems.
In a speech whose main topic was the environment and social problems, the pope said that today more than ever, it is necessary to create a "global economic, political order, founded on clear moral rules," to ensure that the aim of international relations is to seek the common good of the planet.
The human race had to keep in mind the fundamental needs of present and future generations, he said.
UNICEF faults aid groups that buy slaves in Sudan
GENEVA -- The United Nations Children's Fund urged the Sudanese government yesterday to cooperate in stamping out slavery and said private aid groups that buy the freedom of captives are not helping the situation.
UNICEF said efforts should instead focus on bringing an end to the 16-year civil war, which has killed more than 2 million people, displaced 4 million and led to an upsurge in slavery.
"The practice of paying for the retrieval of enslaved children and women does not address the underlying causes of slavery in Sudan: the ongoing civil war and its byproducts of criminality," Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. "Until these root problems are addressed, there can be no lasting solution."
Amnesty International says Mexico violates human rights
MEXICO CITY -- Even as Mexico moves steadily toward full democracy, its police and soldiers are terrorizing urban areas and the southern countryside with human rights violations that include torture, kidnapping and murder, Amnesty International said.
A report by the international rights group released this week found that despite tougher laws against abuses and unprecedented political freedoms, innocent people are being detained and abused more frequently over the past five years.
"The easiest way to resolve these abuses is for President [Ernesto] Zedillo to invoke political will," said Carlos Salinas of Amnesty International USA.
3 Americans detained in African espionage case
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Three American men arrested at Harare's international airport with a large cache of weapons will be charged with terrorism and espionage against two African nations, according to Zimbabwe police.
The Americans arrested Sunday have been identified as Gary George Blanchfield, Jonah Lamonte-Dixon and Joseph Pettijohn, all in their 30s.
"Through investigations we have discovered that, under the guise of a church, these highly trained saboteurs were on a mission of terrorism and espionage in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo," police said.
Pub Date: 3/13/99