Tripartite talks aimed at East Timor peace, security<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Senior officials of Indonesia, Portugal and the
\nUnited Nations (UN) began two-day talks on Thursday aimed at
\nensuring peace and security in East Timor during the critical
\nperiod between the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot and
\nIndonesia's final say on vote results.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said the participants
\nwere focusing their attention on how to maintain public order,
\nstep up reconciliation and prevent armed conflicts during the
\n"Phase Two" period.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia, the UN and all other parties have a common
\ninterest that during the period after, peace and public order can
\nbe maintained and no armed conflict will erupt whatever the
\nresult of the ballot may be," Alatas told the media after meeting
\nwith President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
The minister accompanied the President in receiving UN special
\nenvoy Jamsheed Marker and the United Nations Mission in East
\nTimor (UNAMET) chief Ian Martin.<\/p>\n
Alatas said during the transitional period, the UN presence
\nwould be strengthened in the territory and efforts would be taken
\nto boost reconciliation and disarmament between the two
\nconflicting parties.<\/p>\n
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed to increase the
\nnumber of the UN military liaison officers and civilian police
\ncontingents to about 710 personnel, Alatas stated.<\/p>\n
He confirmed the President had endorsed Annan's plan, but
\nhinted the basic functions of the blue beret officers would not
\nchange at all, and the Indonesian Police would remain the only
\nresponsible party in preserving security and public order in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
"Yes, in principle, it was agreed by both parties," Alatas
\nreplied when asked whether the President approved of the plan.<\/p>\n
The minister described the critical stage as a period between
\nthe balloting day to around November when the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) would convene and "confirm" the
\nresults of the ballot.<\/p>\n
Marker said at the same media briefing he was satisfied with
\nthe ongoing process ahead of the ballot, and expressed his
\nconfidence the tripartite talks between the UN, Portugal and
\nIndonesia would be fruitful.<\/p>\n
"We are dealing with a complicated situation, but I am
\nconfident that we will be on the right track," Marker noted.<\/p>\n
Marker praised the Indonesian government for the tremendous
\nimprovement in the security situation in East Timor. "And I am
\nsure it will continue," he added.<\/p>\n
Carter<\/p>\n
Also at the media briefing, Alatas dismissed the statement
\nfrom the Carter Center, led by former U.S. president Jimmy
\nCarter, that Indonesian Military and Police assisted
\nprointegration groups in attempting to win the ballot.<\/p>\n
"I think foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) tend to
\nbe pessimistic in their judgment, and they sometimes draw
\ndisproportional conclusions, so it is not only the Carter Center
\nwhich has a pessimistic view," Alatas commented.<\/p>\n
The tripartite talks were attended by the Director General for
\nPolitical Affairs Nugroho Wisnumurti, his Portuguese counterpart
\nFernando Neves, Marker and Ian Martin.<\/p>\n
"We are going to discuss the second phase of the ballot
\nprocess and the presence of the United Nations until the
\nimplementation of either option, autonomy or independence," Neves
\ntold journalists before the meeting.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Defense and Security\/ Indonesian
\nMilitary chief Gen. Wiranto reiterated the military would respect
\nthe result of the ballot and ensure security in the troubled
\nprovince even if proindependence was decided.<\/p>\n
"We will respect the international agreement," the general
\ndisclosed after addressing a seminar in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Wiranto also vowed to ensure security during the critical
\nperiod between voting day and the MPR's General Session.<\/p>\n
Separately, in New York, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard confirmed
\non Wednesday the death of two students in the town of Viqueque,
\napparently when Indonesian troops and prointegration militia
\nfired on the National Timorese Resistance Council (CNRT) office.<\/p>\n
"The attack took place against a gathering of students ... Two
\nstudents were killed. One was shot in the head and the other in
\nthe chest," Eckhard announced, as quoted by Reuters.<\/p>\n
East Timor Police spokesman Capt. Widodo said only one person
\nwas killed when two groups of youths clashed in Viqueque on
\nWednesday, following a motorcycle theft from a local,
\nHermenegildo, at the local market.<\/p>\n
Widodo identified the victim as Mario Sores, 21, who was shot
\nin the forehead. He indicated the alleged thief was a
\nproindependence youth. The victim's friends then retaliated by
\nattacking the local military office, and the thief's friends
\nattacked the local CNRT office.<\/p>\n
Viqueque regent Martinho Fernandes gave another version.
\nAccording to him, the fatal incident occurred when a group of
\nstudents backed by the CNRT, attacked the house of one of his
\nsenior aides.<\/p>\n
"It is possible there are different versions about the
\nincident," Widodo commented. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tripartite-talks-aimed-at-east-timor-peace-security-1447893297",
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