SOUTH AFRICAN President Nelson Mandela's quiet involvement in the East Timor dispute has raised hopes jailed resistance leader Xanana Gusmao may be freed from his 20-year prison sentence imposed in 1994.
Mr Mandela acted with the highest discretion when he held a meeting with Gusmao in Jakarta on July 15 while on a visit to Indonesia, promising he would not reveal their discussions to the press.
Little wonder that Jakarta felt betrayed when, less than a week later, after meeting the Portuguese President, Jorge Sampaio, Mr Mandela called for the jailed leader's release without first notifying President Suharto.
A letter, and an invitation to South Africa, reached Jakarta three days later.
State Secretary Murdiono said on Friday he was baffled as to why Mr Mandela broached the issue through the international media, widely mistrusted by the Suharto regime.
'I don't know how all this happened. Wasn't it agreed from the beginning, as expressed by Mr Mandela himself, that the meeting would not be announced to the public?' said Mr Murdiono.
Mr Mandela has thrown himself enthusiastically into his new pet project.