Interfet takes control of East Timor<\/p>\n
By Ridwan Max Sijabat<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): The International Force for East Timor
\n(Interfet) officially took over control of security
\nresponsibilities in East Timor from the Indonesian Military (TNI)
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
A ceremony held behind closed doors at East Timor Military
\nHeadquarters marked the transfer of authority for the strife-torn
\nterritory from the head of the Restoration Operation Command,
\nMaj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, to Interfet commander Maj. Gen. Peter
\nCosgrove.<\/p>\n
TNI will maintain a presence of some 1,000 personnel from the
\nArmy, Navy, Air Force and the National Police to safeguard vital
\nfacilities such as the governor's office, military headquarters,
\nair base and seaport.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will complete its pullout of troops from the former
\nPortuguese territory after the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) decides on East Timor's independence in November.<\/p>\n
Normalcy returned to the city on Monday morning after an
\novernight outbreak of violence in which eight houses and a bank
\nwere burned.<\/p>\n
Cosgrove said he appreciated the cooperation between the
\nmultinational force and TNI in restoring peace to the territory.<\/p>\n
\"Formally, Maj. Gen. Kiki just handed over charge of security
\nin East Timor to Interfet despite the presence of a certain
\nnumber of TNI troops in the territory ... But, of course, it is
\nproper and we knew previously that it would happen,\" Cosgrove
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He pledged to enhance teamwork between the Australian-led
\nmultinational force and the remaining TNI troops.<\/p>\n
Kiki said Interfet was now responsible for any security
\nconcerns in the territory.<\/p>\n
Asked about the total number of Interfet troops to be deployed
\nto the territory, Cosgrove said: \"The number will be many
\nthousands.\" The United Nations' initial estimate of the
\nmultinational force was 8,000.<\/p>\n
Cosgrove said Interfet's main mission was to provide
\nprotection for all East Timorese, regardless of their political
\nchoices, to help the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) complete
\nits duties. He said another main objective was to secure complete
\naccess for international humanitarian aid for East Timorese
\nrefugees.<\/p>\n
However, Cosgrove was quoted by foreign media after the
\nceremony as stating that Indonesia remained in charge of security
\nfor East Timor until the MPR decision.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia retains security control for the province,\" he told
\nAFP after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Misunderstanding<\/p>\n
Cosgrove acknowledged the international community initially
\nmisunderstood the ground situation in the territory and TNI's
\npast role.<\/p>\n
He said the misreading of the situation disrupted Interfet's
\nefforts to execute its mission.<\/p>\n
\"There is an international misunderstanding about the real
\nsituation in East Timor and about the role TNI has played in
\nhandling incidents in the past. This has caused friction between
\nmany countries and Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Many nations, particularly Australia, have accused TNI of
\nmasterminding an orgy of murders, arson, abductions and looting
\nby prointegration militias after a majority of East Timorese
\nrejected Jakarta's proposal for greater autonomy in an Aug. 30
\nballot.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on a possible UN human rights commission
\ntribunal concerning human rights abuses committed in the
\nterritory, Kiki said TNI would strive to prove to the world that
\nthe allegations were unfounded.<\/p>\n
\"The government and TNI will convince the international
\ncommunity that our presence was to maintain the country's
\nsovereignty over the territory. We came here and are leaving it
\nunder official instructions, and no genocide occurred in the
\npast.\"<\/p>\n
Cosgrove declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the
\nUN to decide. He added that he appreciated TNI's cooperative
\nefforts to calm tension and restore law and order.<\/p>\n
The UN human rights commission decided on Monday to set up an
\ninquiry into alleged rights abuses in East Timor. The proposal
\nwas challenged by 11 Asian countries.<\/p>\n
In Darwin, East Timorese and pressure groups accused the UN on
\nMonday of wasting valuable time in setting up the investigation
\namid what they said was mounting evidence of widespread human
\nrights abuses.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/interfet-takes-control-of-east-timor-1447893297",
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