Three UN workers killed in Atambua<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least three United Nations humanitarian
\nworkers were killed in an apparent retaliatory attack in Atambua,
\nEast Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday following the murder of ex-
\nmilitia leader Olivio Moruk just days after he was named a
\nsuspect in last year's mayhem in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The UN office in Jakarta said in a statement: \"So far four UN
\nhumanitarian workers are unaccounted for and feared dead.\"<\/p>\n
The killings occurred when several thousand people attacked
\nthe UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Atambua
\nfollowing news of Olivio's death.<\/p>\n
The three humanitarian workers who have been confirmed dead
\nwere reportedly stabbed and their bodies burned in front of the
\noffice. While the identities of the three have not been revealed,
\nit is known their nationalities were Croatian, Ethiopian and
\nPuerto Rican.<\/p>\n
The UN only resumed work among East Timorese refugees in East
\nNusa Tenggara last week after an earlier attack which injured its
\nstaff members.<\/p>\n
The UN office in Jakarta said that as of 8 p.m., 55 UN staff
\nin Atambua were being evacuated to Dili, East Timor, while others
\nwere being relocated to the East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital
\nof Kupang and other parts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The attack immediately drew condemnation from world leaders
\ngathering in New York for the UN Millennium Summit.<\/p>\n
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the summit on Wednesday
\nby asking attending leaders to pay a silent tribute to the slain
\nUN workers.<\/p>\n
Asking the delegates to stand and observe a minute of silence,
\nAnnan said he would take up the matter with Indonesia \"at the
\nhighest level\".<\/p>\n
United States President Bill Clinton, who took the podium
\nimmediately after Annan, opened his address by saying he was
\n\"deeply saddened\" by the news.<\/p>\n
Suspect<\/p>\n
The attack on the UNHCR office came in the wake of the murder
\nof Olivio on Tuesday night by unknown assailants.<\/p>\n
There was immediate specualtion surrounding the circumstances
\nof his death. Olivio was among 19 suspects named by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office last week for their alleged roles in the
\nviolence in East Timor last year.<\/p>\n
Olivio, 45, was the commander of the Laksaur militia which
\noperated in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman questioned whether Olivio's
\nmurder was politically motivated. \"I think it was too
\ncoincidental that Olivio was killed right after he was named a
\nsuspect,\" Marzuki told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
\"(The murder) will be fully investigated because it is clear
\nthere are indications this goes beyond a criminal act,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also said he had obtained \"assurances\" from Indonesian
\nMilitary Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. that the other suspects in
\nthe case, particularly the two ex-militia members, would be
\n\"monitored\" by security personnel.<\/p>\n
\"I've also instructed the provincial prosecutor's office (in
\nEast Nusa Tenggara) to provide extra police protection for the
\ntwo remaining militia members,\" Marzuki said, referring to
\nMartinus Bere and Izidio Manek.<\/p>\n
When asked if he believed Olivio was killed by rogue military
\nmembers to prevent him from testifying about the East Timor
\nviolence, Marzuki said: \"We cannot speculate on that ... but the
\nfacts on the ground indicate that it is not difficult to draw
\nthat kind of conclusion.\"<\/p>\n
On Wednesday night in Atambua, Udayana Military Commander Maj.
\nGen. Kiki Syahnakri met with UNHCR officials, police
\nrepresentatives and local administration officials. After the
\nmeeting, he said a joint team would be formed to investigate the
\ndeath of UN workers and to secure the remaining staff in Kupang.<\/p>\n
Discussing the death of Olivio, Kiki said the former militia
\nleader was killed following an argument between ex-militia
\nmembers and locals over a gambling issue.<\/p>\n
Kiki said several thousand people earlier had gathered at the
\nlocal council building to protest the murder. He said security
\npersonnel had foreseen the possibility of a conflict and had
\nevacuated most UN workers, but the three murdered UN staff had
\nreturned to the building.<\/p>\n
\"We didn't anticipate anything like this,\" he said, adding
\nthat a battalion from the Army Strategic Reserves Command would
\narrive on Thursday to help secure the area.(lem\/byg\/prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-un-workers-killed-in-atambua-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}