Indonesian President B.J. Habibie yesterday affirmed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, that the people of East Timor could opt for independence if they rejected Indonesia's plans for autonomy in a referendum-style consultative process scheduled for July.
Mr Habibie also told Mr Andrews, during a 45-minute meeting in the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, that Indonesia would invite monitors from the European Union, Australia, the Philippines and Japan to verify the voting under United Nations auspices.
The Indonesian cabinet yesterday finalised its plan for autonomy for the former Portuguese colony. This will be presented to a meeting of the foreign ministers of Portugal and Indonesia, and the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, in New York on Thursday.
Mr Andrews gave a "very frank and unvarnished" account to President Habibie of his experiences in the East Timor capital, Dili, on Saturday, according to his spokesman, Mr Declan Kelly.
He told him that he had seen how the pro-integration militias were allowed to act without supervision, and he gave the Indonesian President a "blunt assessment" of East Timor's governor, Mr Abilio Soares.
On Saturday, Mr Soares had told Mr Andrews that his policy differed from that of President Habibie, saying that if autonomy was rejected, then he would struggle for integration and the partition of East Timor.
During Mr Andrews's visit to Dili, pro-Indonesian paramilitary groups, with the blessing of the East Timor governor, took control of the streets.
They killed at least 14 people, including the son of independence leader Mr Manuel Carrascalao - who interrupted in dramatic fashion a meeting between the Minister and Bishop Carlos Belo to tell him the news. Mr Habibie appeared embarrassed by what he was told. Mr Andrews's spokesman said he emphasised that if East Timor wanted independence, then so be it: "We can separate in peace."
In Dili yesterday the pro-integration militias paraded in front of the governor's headquarters alongside civil servants and police officers to hear congratulations from Mr Soares's senior aides for combating "terrorism and intimidation."
A paramilitary leader, Mr Eurico Guterres, was nominated as the protector of security in the city. Also yesterday in Dili, officials refused to release the body of Mr Carrascalao's 17-year-old son, Manuel, for burial.
Before Mr Andrews left Jakarta last night to return to Dublin, he also met the head of the Indonesian armed forces, Gen Wiranto.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs told the general, who left the cabinet meeting on East Timor for 20 minutes to meet him, that the military commander in Dili, Gen Tono Suratman, needed instructions "to help the people of East Timor".
Mr Andrews intends making a full statement to the Dail at the earliest opportunity.