Tripartite talks back special body for East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Senior officials of Indonesia, Portugal and the
\nUnited Nations (UN) endorsed on Friday the formation of a
\nconsultative body in East Timor to facilitate peace and
\ncooperation following the Aug. 30 ballot on the troubled
\nterritory's future.<\/p>\n
"The Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) endorsed the agreement
\nreached this week at a UN-organized meeting of the East Timorese
\nleaders... which included the formation of an East Timorese
\nconsultative body aimed at facilitating cooperation and
\nreconciliation in the aftermath of the popular consultation in
\nEast Timor," UN special envoy Jamsheed Marker told a news
\nconference after completing the two-day tripartite talks at the
\nforeign ministry.<\/p>\n
Marker said the body would be made up of 25 representatives
\nbut no names were disclosed. He said "some details of this
\nparticular agreement will be issued later".<\/p>\n
The ministry's Director General for Political Affairs Nugroho
\nWisnumurti told the same news conference the consultative
\ncommission was established by a meeting of East Timorese leaders
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
"This is something that was initiated by the UN and the idea
\nwas endorsed in New York at the previous SOM," Nugroho said,
\nadding the commission would start work on Aug. 31.<\/p>\n
Marker said SOM would reconvene in Lisbon on Aug. 26 "in order
\nto continue the discussion on the remaining stages of the
\nprocess".<\/p>\n
He added that "there is no question that the UN presence (in
\nEast Timor) will continue" after the August ballot.<\/p>\n
"There may be an element of restructuring in the sense that we
\nwould need less electoral personnel but we would continue the
\npresence of political officers," Marker said.<\/p>\n
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed increasing the
\nnumber of UN civilian police and military liaison officers to
\nabout 710 in the province.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Portugal agreed in May that the UN would send in
\ncontingents of unarmed civilian police and electoral officers to
\nsupervise the vote while leaving security to the Indonesian
\npolice.<\/p>\n
Marker also said the UN "took seriously" the alleged military
\nsupport for pro-Jakarta militias which have been blamed for most
\nof the violence in the former Portuguese colony since January,
\nwhen the government first announced it might grant East Timor
\nindependence if its people rejected an autonomy offer.<\/p>\n
"We brought it to the attention of the Indonesian delegation,
\nmeasures have been taken and I discussed this matter at the
\nhighest level. And I am satisfied that measures are being taken
\nto correct the situation."<\/p>\n
He said that "there should be an absence of threats, violence
\nand intimidation from whichever quarter" in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Marker said the SOM was both positive and constructive and the
\nparticipants "had some very productive discussions on the
\nsituation after the August ballot".<\/p>\n
Marker's statement came as the Indonesian Military replaced
\nthe head of the East Timor Military Command, Col. Tono Suratman.<\/p>\n
Tono, who was replaced by Col. Muhamad Noer Muis, was promoted
\nto brigadier general. Some news agency reports quoted military
\nsources as saying he was likely to be appointed deputy commander
\nof the Army's Special Force (Kopassus).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nugroho said Indonesia would not let jailed East
\nTimorese leader Alexandre Xanana Gusmao personally take part in
\nthe two-week campaign beginning on Saturday despite international
\npressure.<\/p>\n
"Campaigning can be done in many ways, including by speaking
\nto the public through television. So, there are so many ways that
\nhe can fully participate in the campaign even under the present
\ncircumstances," he said.<\/p>\n
Xanana, who is serving a 20-year jail term for armed
\nrebellion, has said he will campaign through television and radio
\nbroadcasts. (byg\/33)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tripartite-talks-back-special-body-for-east-timor-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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