Indonesia violates UN pact on observers: UNAMET<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): A representative of the United Nations
\nsaid Thursday that Indonesia had violated the agreement on East
\nTimor's direct ballot signed in May by Indonesia, Portugal and
\nthe UN.<\/p>\n
Chief electoral officer Jeff Fischer of the United Nations
\nMission in East Timor (UNAMET) said in a statement that the UN
\nconsidered the role of the Indonesian government in approving,
\nfacilitating and sponsoring the activities of more than 300 poll
\nobservers from 24 organizations to be a violation of the terms of
\nthe agreement.<\/p>\n
The 300 were denied accreditation as poll observers by the UN
\non Aug. 21.<\/p>\n
Under the agreement signed in New York, Indonesia and Portugal
\nare allowed to send an equal number of representatives to observe
\nthe operational phases of the ballot, both inside and outside
\nEast Timor<\/p>\n
The UN said earlier that apart from 1,600 independent poll
\nobservers, there would be 100 official observers from Indonesia
\nand Portugal sent to East Timor to observe the ballot.<\/p>\n
Fischer said the 300 additional observers "would create a
\nsubstantial imbalance between the size of the delegations
\nfunctionally working as official Indonesian and Portuguese
\nobservers".<\/p>\n
Fischer added his concerns were not assuaged when a number of
\nthese observers arrived in Dili aboard an Indonesian Navy vessel,
\nthe KRI Teluk Cirebon.<\/p>\n
"This outright subsidy of their transport does not serve to
\npromote the perception of their independence from the
\ngovernment," he said.<\/p>\n
Fischer, however, did say if the observers provided
\ndemonstrable evidence of their independence from the Indonesian
\ngovernment, he would be willing to reconsider their applications
\nfor accreditation.<\/p>\n
"The indicators of independence are simple -- your
\norganization has not accepted funding, travel subsidies or other
\nforms of financial or in-kind facilitation from the Indonesian
\ngovernment; government employees are not members of your observer
\nteam; and the reporting of your observations will be uncensored
\nby the government," he said.<\/p>\n
An observer denied accreditation by the UN, said on Wednesday
\nhis journey to Dili was facilitated by the foreign ministry.<\/p>\n
"On board the Navy ship, Lukman, who identified himself as an
\nemployee of the ministry, gave each of us Rp 2.2 million and we
\nhad to sign a receipt with Ministry of Foreign Affairs written on
\nit," Edwin, who studies international relations at Bandung's
\nPadjadjaran University, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the receipts were kept by Lukman.<\/p>\n
An official of the ministry, Dino Patti Djalal who is
\nspokesman for the Indonesian Task Force For The Implementation of
\nthe Popular Consultation on East Timor (P3TT), denied the
\nsuggestion that the ministry was involved.<\/p>\n
"That is impossible, we are a neutral party," he said adding
\nthe ministry had not issued such funds for any observers.<\/p>\n
Edwin also said he and some 30 other would-be poll observers
\nwere told their accreditation as poll observers was waiting for
\nthem in Dili, adding he began to become suspicious when they were
\ngiven money. (byg\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-violates-un-pact-on-observers-unamet-1447893297",
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