East Timor fears more bloodshed<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): East Timor Military Commander Col. Noer
\nMuis warned on Sunday of possible bloodshed in the province
\nfollowing the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot, due to the
\nabsence of a strong commitment among the warring factions to a
\nreconciliation.<\/p>\n
\"Bloodshed is quite possible before and after the announcement
\nof the ballot results because neither conflicting factions nor
\ntheir supporters are ready to accept a defeat. This phenomenon
\ncan be seen in the continuing clashes between them during the
\nongoing campaign period,\" he told a media gathering on Sunday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Violence has continued in many areas in the territory. A
\nstring of clashes in Maliana, Bobonaro, Ainaro and Viqueque last
\nweek left at least five people dead and many others injured.<\/p>\n
Muis said tension was mounting in Suai, south of the
\nprovincial capital, with the number of local people taking refuge
\nin churches increasing to around 3,000, from 1,700 on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The refugees have complained about the absence of food and
\nmedical supplies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, he blamed the proindependence faction for
\nintimidating the people to take shelter in churches. He said the
\nmove could be aimed at encouraging the United Nations to send a
\npeacekeeping force.<\/p>\n
\"Many refugees admitted they had been forced by
\nproindependence rebels to pour into the churches for unclear
\nreasons,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In the latest violence, police and UNAMET police observers
\nunearthed on Sunday a dead body in Lohemia village in Maliana.<\/p>\n
Provincial police spokesman Capt. Widodo D.S. told The Jakarta
\nPost in Dili that the body of Agusto dos Santos Martins was found
\non Saturday. He said Agusto was killed in a clash between
\nproindependence and prointegration supporters in the village on
\nAug. 18.<\/p>\n
Eight other people are still missing following the clash.<\/p>\n
\"We are still conducting an intensive investigation into the
\nkilling and seeking the eight other people who were reportedly
\ntortured to death in the incident,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The body of Agusto was reburied by his relatives in Hose,
\nMaliana, after an autopsy conducted by a UNAMET physician.<\/p>\n
Manuel Malaganhes, a local figure in Maliana, said that Agusto
\nand his eight colleagues were tortured to death by prointegration
\nmilitiamen while on their way from Hose to Lohemia.<\/p>\n
\"A witness who escaped the murder told me the victims were
\nforced to get out of a minivan, and then were tortured to death,\"
\nhe said, adding that the witness was now under the protection of
\nUNAMET in Maliana.<\/p>\n
Reconciliation<\/p>\n
Muis, who replaced Col. Tono Suratman early this month, called
\non the two conflicting factions to continue promoting the
\nballot's purpose of establishing peace in the territory
\nregardless of the result of the popular consultation.<\/p>\n
More than 450,000 people in and outside East Timor are
\nexpected to go to the polls on Aug. 30 to decide whether they
\nremain with or break away from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Muis said he was disappointed with the Catholic Church in East
\nTimor, which he said favored the proindependence faction despite
\nincreasing calls for its neutrality.<\/p>\n
\"The Catholic Church authorities should maintain their
\nimpartiality and give services to all people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo
\nsaid the Roman Catholic Church would stay out of politics
\nwhatever the outcome of the direct ballot.<\/p>\n
\"The Church will not seize power. It has no desire at all to
\nshare earthly power,\" he said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Belo, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate, told East
\nTimorese to work for peace and unity in the run-up to the direct
\nballot, so that it would bring about a reconciliation between
\nproindependence and prointegration supporters.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, jailed East Timor proindependence leader Jose
\nAlexandre \"Xanana\" Gusmao met with his rival faction on Sunday to
\nprepare the establishment of a reconciliatory body for the period
\nimmediately after the Aug. 30 vote.<\/p>\n
Xanana's lawyer, Johnson Panjaitan of the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nand Human Rights Association (PBHI), who was also present Sunday,
\ntold The Jakarta Post by phone that the meeting was aimed at
\n\"enhancing the communication between both factions in regard to
\nthe formation of an East Timorese consultative body\".<\/p>\n
Also present on Sunday were chief of the UN Mission in East
\nTimor (UNAMET) Ian Martin and pro-Jakarta leaders Lopez da Cruz,
\nDominggus Policarpo and Eurico Guterres.<\/p>\n
East Timorese leaders agreed on Aug. 11 to establish a 25-
\nperson commission to foster reconciliation and cooperation in the
\nhalf-island territory until the results of the UN-run vote are
\nimplemented.<\/p>\n
Members of the commission will be nominated by each of the
\nwarring factions and appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi
\nAnnan. The consultative body will be inaugurated on Aug. 31.
\n(33\/rms\/byg)<\/p>",
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