Indonesia wants Australia kept off UN force<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives and the ruling
\nGolkar Party demanded on Monday that Australia and Portugal be
\nexcluded from any international peacekeeping forces sent to
\nrestore peace and order in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) also insisted that Jakarta
\nshould be consulted about the makeup of the UN force.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie, who met with the House leadership to
\nexplain his about-face decision to let the United Nations send a
\npeacekeeping mission into the ravaged territory, fell short of
\nmaking specific demands.<\/p>\n
Habibie said he was leaving the matter entirely up to the UN
\nSecurity Council to determine the makeup of the peacekeeping
\nforce, \"after negotiations with the Indonesian delegation\".<\/p>\n
\"I'm not mentioning countries,\" he said when asked whether
\nIndonesia would approve the presence of Australia or Portugal.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is not at war with anyone, he said. \"We're on
\nfriendly terms with everyone.\"<\/p>\n
Speaker Harmoko fell short of declaring his support for the
\ndecision, saying that the House \"understood\" the steps being
\ntaken by the government in resolving the East Timor crisis.<\/p>\n
Harmoko also urged Habibie to send Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nAli Alatas and Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto to
\nbrief the House regarding the details of the agreement.<\/p>\n
Habibie had sent Alatas to discuss details of the peacekeeping
\nmission with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Two military top
\nbrass, Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Navy Rear Admiral
\nYoost F. Mengko, will join Alatas in the negotiations in New
\nYork.<\/p>\n
One crucial question to resolve is whether the Indonesian
\nMilitary will be under the UN force or a separate entity in the
\nEast Timor operation, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudrajat said.<\/p>\n
Habibie announced his decision on Sunday in the wake of
\nincreasing international criticisms against Jakarta's failure to
\nstop violence in East Timor.<\/p>\n
He offered a \"security cooperation\" arrangement in which the
\nUnited Nations peacekeeping force would work together with the
\nIndonesian Military.<\/p>\n
The government's international and domestic indignation has
\nnevertheless left a bitter taste among many Indonesian leaders.<\/p>\n
They vented their anger at Australia, Portugal and to a lesser
\nextent the United States, Canada and New Zealand, which they
\nsingled out as countries most vocal in pressuring Indonesia over
\nthe past week.<\/p>\n
TNI said it supported the government's decision to send the UN
\nmission to help restore peace in East Timor, which it insisted
\nremains an Indonesian territory until November.<\/p>\n
TNI preferred to have mostly forces from Southeast Asian
\ncountries, Sudrajat said, adding that although Indonesia did not
\nhave the last say, its voice should be heard.<\/p>\n
\"Failing that, we could have a multinational force. Germany to
\nrepresent Europe, Canada from the Americas, Vietnam from Asia,
\nEgypt from the Middle East and South Africa from Africa.\"<\/p>\n
When asked about Australia, he said: \"We have to watch
\nAustralia because our relations have been disrupted. The
\ngovernment and TNI can not ignore the public's negative reaction
\nwhich does not welcome Australia's participation.\"<\/p>\n
House Commission I for foreign affairs said the government
\nshould reject the participation of Australia, New Zealand and
\nPortugal because they have political interests in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"These three countries would stir up new trouble because they
\nare clearly not neutral,\" commission chairwoman Aisyah Aminy
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"These countries have imposed their will on us to get
\nthemselves involved in East Timor. They have no shame,\" Aisyah
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She said she took her cue from the participation of many
\nAustralians in the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET),
\nwhich organized the historic Aug. 30 ballot. \"They clearly
\nimposed their will on the East Timorese. If Australian troops are
\ninvolved now, they will prolong the East Timor problem.\"<\/p>\n
The commission said the government should insist on countries
\nmore neutral and who have no political interests in the UN
\nforces. This includes Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand and the
\nPhilippines in this category.<\/p>\n
Aminullah Ibrahim, a member of House Commission I from the
\nmilitary faction, cautioned that Australian political parties
\nwould use East Timor to bolster their popularity in this year's
\nelections.<\/p>\n
\"The participation of Australian forces would only prolong the
\nEast Timor crisis,\" Aminullah said.<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said Australia, the United
\nStates, New Zealand, Canada and Portugal should be excluded from
\nany peacekeeping mission in East Timor because they were not
\nneutral, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Akbar said Golkar viewed the decision to let in the UN forces
\nwas the best policy to bring an immediate end to the East Timor
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
But the forces should come from countries which had no
\npolitical interests and which were neutral to both conflicting
\nparties in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"If you bring forces from countries that are not neutral, you
\nwill stir up people's emotions. It would be such a waste,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the international peacekeeping forces must coordinate
\ntheir operation with TNI, which is familiar with the territory
\nand conflict.<\/p>\n
\"As soon as the situation in East Timor is brought under
\ncontrol, the UN forces should leave East Timor,\" Akbar said.<\/p>\n
East Timor will remain under Indonesia's rule until November.
\n\"Its sovereignty cannot be undermined,\" he said. (rms\/emb)<\/p>",
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