TNI asked to help prevent E. Timor border skirmishes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The head of the United Nations Transitional
\nAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET), Lt. Gen. Jaime de los
\nSantos, is calling on the Indonesian Military (TNI) to help
\nprevent cross-border attacks into East Timor.<\/p>\n
But during separate meetings with the TNI and government
\nofficials on Thursday and Friday, De los Santos acknowledged that
\nthe activities of militias in Indonesian territory were not
\nconnected with TNI.<\/p>\n
\"The involvement of TNI is proven to be untrue,\" he said after
\nmeeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab here on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
\"There is no involvement of TNI in terms of training or in
\nterms of coordination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
There have reportedly been 16 incidents in the last three
\nweeks near the border between East Timor and East Nusa Tenggara.
\nThe incidents allegedly were perpetrated by prointegration
\nmilitias working from the western half of Timor island.<\/p>\n
The armed groups have killed at least one East Timorese in the
\nincidents.<\/p>\n
Alwi said on Friday President Abdurrahman Wahid was \"concerned
\nand unhappy\" with reports of reported militia attacks from East
\nNusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
According to Alwi, the president has called on the Indonesian
\nMilitary to take firm measures to disarm and prevent militias
\nfrom engaging in cross-border attacks from Indonesian territory.<\/p>\n
\"He called on the minister of defense and TNI commander
\nimmediately to take necessary actions to prevent this,\" Alwi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Quoting Abdurrahman, Alwi said the government would not
\ntolerate such illegal incidents.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want this issue to be somehow used as an excuse to
\nsay that Indonesia is not serious in handling the refugees and
\nits relationship with East Timor,\" Alwi told journalists before
\ndeparting for Saudi Arabia for the haj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
Over 100,000 refugees from East Timor remain sheltered in the
\nwestern half of the island, leading to a high degree of activity
\nalong the border.<\/p>\n
De los Santos met with TNI Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. and
\nUdayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri on Friday to
\ndiscuss the issue.<\/p>\n
TNI spokesman Air Rear Marshall Graito Usodo said Widodo was
\nconcerned about the reports of increased militia activity and
\npledged to evaluate the situation.<\/p>\n
According to Graito, Widodo did not rule out the possibility
\nof deploying more troops along the border.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Jakarta Post and Antara news agency late on
\nThursday, Kiki said TNI detected an escalation of militia
\nactivity following a congress of prointegration fighters in
\nKupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Feb. 26.<\/p>\n
Participants of the gathering agreed to form an organization
\ncalled the United Timorese Heroes (UNTAS), he said.<\/p>\n
But Kiki asserted TNI was doing its best to ensure that armed
\nattacks did not occur along the border, saying the military was
\ncarrying out intensive patrols.<\/p>\n
\"Recently we confiscated three weapons. Two were homemade guns
\nand one was a Mauser,\" Kiki said, referring to a type of rifle
\nwhich was widely used during the Portuguese colonial era.<\/p>\n
Kiki further noted that security along the border should be a
\nshared responsibility, not merely TNI's.<\/p>\n
\"I have repeatedly appealed (to the UN authorities) to
\nincrease joint patrols in the area.<\/p>\n
\"They have all the modern equipment that can be used. They
\nhave Blackhawks (helicopters), night goggles and sophisticated
\nradar,\" Kiki said.<\/p>\n
According to Kiki, TNI has 689 soldiers deployed along the
\n155-kilometer border on the western half of Timor island.<\/p>\n
\"Our numbers are limited while we have a wide area to cover.
\nThe number of our troops is far smaller than the number of
\npeacekeeping troops,\" he said after arriving in Jakarta on
\nThursday evening.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Air Rear Marshal
\nAlimunsiri Rappe Alimunsiri, the Eastern Air Force operations
\ncommander, said that planes from the air forces of Australia and
\nother nations were often detected violating Indonesian airspace.<\/p>\n
He said Air Force radar had detected at least 10 illegal
\nflights in the last two months.<\/p>\n
The Australian government officially denied allegations last
\nmonth that its planes had violated Indonesian airspace.
\n(emf\/dja\/27)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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