Sir, - I feel compelled to comment on an article, "`Dialogue' dangerous in isolated culture", by David Shanks, published in your newspaper on December 16th. This contained a number of inaccuracies and generally misrepresented the facts of the situation in East Timor.Firstly by quoting Tom Hyland, an anti-Indonesian activist, Mr Shanks inaccurately claimed that East Timor is "a closed society from which the outside world cannot be reached by mail". On the contrary, East Timor is a wideopen province with free access for all including international observers such as foreign diplomats, European politician, Vatican representatives and foreign journalists. To quote Tom Hyland, who carried out an illegal, clandestine visit, is a clear indication of inaccuracies in the article and is a proof that he has no respect for other countries' law.The claim that more than 200,000 people lost their lives is a gross exaggeration used by antiIndonesian campaigners in an attempt to publicly discredit the country.Mr Shanks's claim that Bishop Ximenes Carlos Belo commented on "cultural genocide" is also unfounded. Bishop Belo has repeatedly stated that he is a religious leader, not a political leader. The truth is that the term "cultural genocide" was coined by Portugal to smear Indonesia's image abroad.In reality, East Timorese culture is actively promoted. For example, the people are free to use their own Tetun language and Portuguese monuments and road names have been retained in the province, showing the tremendous tolerance of the Indonesian government.Contrary to Mr Shanks's statement that "the military's infiltration of the society makes East Timor a particularly uncomfortable place to be", may I point out that the majority of East Timorese have welcomed the Indonesian military as guarantors of peace and stability. Moreover, the military has now been replaced by a regular district command, responsible for security as in other Indonesian provinces. The primary role of this body, as elsewhere in Indonesia, is to help speed up the development process.The incident in Dili University was incorrectly depicted in the article as a military attack on the campus. The truth is that the incident was incited by a Fretilin separatist group who sought to provoke a clampdown by riotingand other misguided acts.Given the above facts, may I ask what has happened to The Irish Times's sense of balanced reporting? We really expect such a prestigious Irish newspaper to be more objective and impartial. Yours, etc., - Raziaty Tanzil,Embassy of the Republicof Indonesia,Grosvenor Square,London W1.