Martial law imposed on troubled East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has declared martial law in East
\nTimor in an attempt to halt spiraling violence in the territory.<\/p>\n
The surprising decision backtracked on the rejection of
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto's proposal for a
\nstate of emergency, which was made in a Cabinet plenary meeting
\non Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Presidential Decree No. 107 signed late Monday night stated
\nthat martial law took effect in East Timor at midnight on Sept. 7
\nand would remain in effect until the situation normalized.<\/p>\n
Based on a 1959 law, power is vested in the local military
\ncommand, with its chief empowered to take all necessary measures.<\/p>\n
They could span assuming control of telecommunications
\nfacilities, censuring correspondence, arrests and detention for
\n20 days, and expulsion of people from the area.<\/p>\n
Wiranto insisted that martial law was needed to empower the
\nmilitary and police in carrying out tough measures to restore
\norder.<\/p>\n
\"As you know, the situation has worsened after the ballot,\"
\nWiranto said after meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace on
\nTuesday morning.<\/p>\n
The about-face in policy further fueled speculation of discord
\nwithin the government over East Timor policy.<\/p>\n
Habibie was scheduled to officially announce the decision at a
\nspecial news conference on Tuesday. However, TNI spokesman Maj.
\nGen. Sudradjat preempted the President late Monday night.<\/p>\n
Wiranto defended his decision of ordering Sudradjat to make
\nthe announcement on state-owned TVRI television network and RRI
\nradio because the information needed to be disseminated promptly.<\/p>\n
\"This decision had to be directly informed both to the East
\nTimorese and the security apparatus. (That's why) the decree was
\nimmediately announced by the military spokesman.\"<\/p>\n
More than a hundred deaths have reportedly followed the
\nannouncement of results from the Aug. 30 ballot, with 78.5
\npercent of the populace rejecting Jakarta's autonomy proposal.<\/p>\n
Militias have run riot, causing a huge exodus of residents.<\/p>\n
Rejection<\/p>\n
Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus said after Monday's
\nCabinet meeting that Wiranto's proposal was rejected because it
\ncontravened a treaty on East Timor between Indonesia, Portugal
\nand the United Nations signed in New York on May 5.<\/p>\n
A palace official told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that
\nWiranto later went to Habibie's private residence in Patra
\nKuningan, South Jakarta, and convinced him of the necessity of a
\nstate of military emergency in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The official, who asked not to be named, said Habibie finally
\nagreed and signed the decree at his home only four hours after
\nYunus' announcement.<\/p>\n
The official said Yunus, foreign minister Ali Alatas and
\nMinister of Justice\/State Secretary Muladi were those who opposed
\nto Wiranto's proposal during Monday's meeting.<\/p>\n
During the official announcement at Merdeka Palace following a
\nmeeting on Tuesday morning, Coordinating Minister for Political
\nAffairs and Security Feisal Tanjung claimed Habibie obtained
\napproval by phone from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
\nAnnan and Portugal before he signed the decree.<\/p>\n
Alatas, who was also present with Wiranto at the news
\nconference, said consultations were conducted with the UN and
\nLisbon to avoid violating tenets of the May 5 agreement.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, the secretary-general told our President to please
\ngo ahead as quickly as possible and restore security, law and
\norder.\"<\/p>\n
Habibie summoned 12 ministers, including Coordinating Minister
\nfor People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono and
\nMinister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, late Tuesday
\nevening to discuss the refugee problem in East Timor and the
\nlegal implications of the result of the ballot.<\/p>\n
Kuntoro said Indonesia was ready to revoke the Timor Gap
\ntreaty with Australia under which the two countries share
\nroyalties from joint oil production in the Timor Sea.<\/p>\n
Task force<\/p>\n
Muladi said separately that Habibie's decision was fully
\nwithin the mandate of the 1959 law which grants the president, as
\nsupreme military commander, the right to declare martial law.<\/p>\n
He said Habibie also sent a letter informing the House of
\nRepresentatives of the decision.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sudradjat said the military would send a task force
\nto take over public administration in East Timor until law and
\norder was restored.<\/p>\n
\"The military administration will have the task of
\nsafeguarding and protecting civilians, including refugees whose
\nnumber has reached around 40,000.<\/p>\n
\"During the state of military emergency, the military will be
\non the front line while the National Police will be backup.\" He
\nsaid eight Army battalions and 12,000 police were being deployed.<\/p>\n
Asked why such a drastic move was needed, Sudradjat said
\npublic administration could no longer function amid the chaos.<\/p>\n
\"The burning of houses and others buildings can be seen in
\nmany areas in the territory. All these have made the situation
\nuncontrollable. The government has no other alternative than to
\ndeclare a state of military emergency.\"<\/p>\n
Sudradjat promised that the military administration would do
\nits best to end martial law as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
\"However, the enforcement of martial law will depend on the
\ntwo warring factions. To the military, the sooner the state of
\nemergency ends, the better the situation will be.\"<\/p>\n
Newly released East Timor independence leader Jose Alexandre
\nXanana Gusmao denounced the decision.<\/p>\n
\"Why are more battalions being sent to East Timor? ... TNI is
\ndestroying and plundering the belongings of the population.\"<\/p>\n
From UN Headquarters in New York, AP reported that
\nconsideration of an international peacekeeping force was high
\non the agenda if Indonesia failed to curb the violence in the
\nnext few days.<\/p>\n
However, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard conceded that it would take
\nmonths to organize and deploy a UN-led peacekeeping force.<\/p>\n
The other option, Eckhard said, would be for the Security
\nCouncil to authorize \"a coalition of the willing\" -- a group of
\nnations ready to take quick military action and full
\nresponsibility for deployment. (prb\/rms\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/martial-law-imposed-on-troubled-east-timor-1447893297",
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