Security Council authorizes East Timor administration<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Security Council gave Secretary General Kofi
\nAnnan authority on Monday to set up a UN administration with
\nextensive powers to rebuild East Timor and run it until
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
The UN Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) has a
\nmandate to \"establish an effective administration\" in the
\nterritory, which was plunged into anarchy after voting against
\nIndonesia's wide-ranging autonomy offer on Aug. 30.<\/p>\n
UNTAET will include the largest UN peacekeeping contingent in
\nthe world today, comprising 8,950 troops, 200 military observers
\nand 1,640 police, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
The UN troops will replace Interfet, the Australian-led
\nmultinational force which was sent to East Timor with the
\napproval of the Security Council last month to restore peace and
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Security Council Resolution 1272, adopted unanimously by the
\n15 Council members on Monday, gives UNTAET the power \"to exercise
\nall legislative and executive authority including the
\nadministration of justice\".<\/p>\n
The establishment of UNTAET marks the return of the United
\nNations to peacekeeping on a large scale.<\/p>\n
It follows the Council's authorization on Friday of a 6,000-
\nstrong peacekeeping force for Sierra Leone, in West Africa.<\/p>\n
The two missions take the total size of UN military operations
\nfrom about 10,700 to more than 27,300.<\/p>\n
Under the resolution, UNTAET's mandate will initially run
\nuntil Jan. 31, 2001, but is renewable.<\/p>\n
In Dili, the capital of East Timor, civilian and military
\npolice have discovered another mass grave holding up to 10 bodies
\nat a site on the outskirts of the town, officials said Monday.<\/p>\n
A senior civilian policeman working with the UN said relatives
\nof the victims had led investigators to the site outside the
\ncapital on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"A joint investigation will be done between the military and
\ncivilian police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Interfet spokesman Col. Mark Kelly said at the weekend that
\ninvestigators had examined sites containing a total of 95 bodies
\nsince the force deployed on Sep. 20 after weeks of violence and
\ndestruction in response to an overwhelming vote for independence
\nfrom Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Reports so far indicated up to 150 bodies would be found but
\nsome investigators refuse to rule out a bigger total when the
\nestimated 250,000 East Timorese refugees return from West Timor
\nand hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people move
\nback to their homes and were able to report other possible
\natrocities.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) said it had found
\n18 deaths in refugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara as of last week.
\nThey were mostly children and old people who suffered from
\ndigestive problems.<\/p>\n
PMI officials admitted, however, the number could be more, as
\nmany deaths remained undetected.<\/p>\n
PMI chairman Jusuf Talib said on Monday more humanitarian
\nassistance would be delivered throughout East Nusa Tenggara in
\ncooperation with a number of medical service institutions.<\/p>\n
In cooperation with the International Commission for the Red
\nCross (ICRC), PMI has sent a team to help East Timorese refugee
\nin East Nusa Tenggara province. They provide non-food supplies
\nrelated necessities, including basic necessities, sanitation,
\nmedicines, medical supplies, and 24 hours medical services.<\/p>\n
\"We feel that the main problem in the refugee camp is not only
\nfood supplies, but also accommodation, sanitation, clean water
\nsupplies and health care\", Jusuf said after receiving
\nhumanitarian aid from the Thai Red Cross.<\/p>\n
Thai Ambassador to Indonesia Somphand Kokilanon, on behalf of
\nThai Red Cross Society, handed in tons of medicines and medical
\nsupplies to Jusuf. (02\/33)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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