Jakarta - Indonesian has said it hopes to complete by April a package offering East Timor wide autonomy. If this was rejected, it would propose full independence, the Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Alatas, said after meeting President B.J. Habibie.
He said the package would then be "put on the table" for the East Timorese to accept. If it was turned down, a proposal for full independence would be made to a newly-elected Indonesian legislature later this year.
Mr Alatas said an appropriate way of gauging the response of East Timorese to the offer would still have to be discussed with the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan. But he said there was no question of provisional autonomy leading to a referendum on self-determination.
Meanwhile Bishop Carlos Belo has called on Jakarta to disband all civilian groups armed by the military.