UN, government disagree over ballot observers<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): Indonesia and the United Nations
\nMission in East Timor (UNAMET) are at odds over the presence of a
\nnumber of local poll observers here ahead of the Aug. 30 self-
\ndetermination vote.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the tension, some 400 members of 24 Indonesian
\norganizations who arrived here on a warship on Monday have
\nthreatened to occupy the UNAMET headquarters if their
\napplications for accreditation to monitor the ballot are
\nrejected.<\/p>\n
UNAMET chief Ian Martin, who met Golkar chairman Akbar
\nTandjung and his entourage at the Comoro Airport on Tuesday,
\nrefused to comment on the threat, pledging only to remain neutral
\nin organizing the ballot.<\/p>\n
UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst told The Jakarta Post on
\nTuesday the Indonesian observers were welcome to apply for
\naccreditation but their number would be kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n
\"The number of organizations which want to monitor the ballot
\nis too great. We want to limit the number to a maximum of 50
\nindependent observers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Activists from Golkar-affiliated youth organizations,
\nincluding Sus Bahur of AMPI, Patar Tobing of the Pancasila Youth
\nand Arya Windaro of the Indonesian Youth Generation Movement
\ncomplained at a press conference on Monday that UNAMET had
\nunclear reasons for rejecting their applications to monitor the
\nballot.<\/p>\n
They said they wanted to monitor the ballot because they
\nwanted to show their solidarity with the East Timorese.<\/p>\n
Bahur called the refusal \"irrational\", if it was based solely
\non the fact that the groups arrived on a warship. He pointed out
\nthat many among them reached Dili on commercial flights.<\/p>\n
\"The Rectors Forum delegation also used the warship to reach
\nEast Timor but they were given accreditation,\" he said, referring
\nto an independent poll watchdog which also monitored the June 7
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
\"If UNAMET (maintains) its stance we will demonstrate and
\noccupy the UNAMET headquarters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Reports said UNAMET has accredited 1,300 observers, with 100
\nof them representing the Indonesian and Portuguese governments.
\nHowever, the mission refused to authorize 370 observers who
\nclaimed to represent Indonesian non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Indonesian Task Force for the Implementation
\nof the Autonomy Ballot in East Timor (P3TT) has expressed regret
\nover the reported refusal of UNAMET to accredit the
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
\"Since the beginning, we have stressed the autonomy ballot
\n(must be) a transparent and democratic process, and all
\nindependent and credible monitoring agencies should be given the
\nright to monitor it,\" P3TT spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.<\/p>\n
Dino emphasized that Indonesia bears a great interest in the
\nsearch for a solution to East Timor's problems.<\/p>\n
\"So, it is hard to conceive that Indonesian organizations are
\nbeing refused by UNAMET to act as monitoring agencies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Stepping into the conflict, East Timor Military Commander Col.
\nNoer Muis told the Post he would consult both UNAMET and the
\nMinistry of Foreign Affairs about the matter.<\/p>\n
\"I just received information from UNAMET that (the youth's)
\napplications are still being processed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Criticism<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, visiting Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung accused
\nUNAMET of not being neutral in its mission in the province.<\/p>\n
\"To us (Golkar), UNAMET has accorded the proindependence
\nfaction special treatment, favoring the group to help it win the
\nballot. It has also blown up minor violations committed by
\nprointegration supporters. It is completely unfair,\" he said
\nafter meeting with Martin.<\/p>\n
Separately, chairman of the National Commission on Human
\nRights Marzuki Darusman expressed optimism that the referendum on
\nthe troubled territory's future would go ahead on Aug. 30 despite
\na string of violations during the campaign period.<\/p>\n
\"There has been a feasible political and security climate in
\nthe province so that a further delay of the ballot is not
\nnecessary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He came to the conclusion after meeting with officials of
\nUNAMET and the Commission for Peace and Stability (KPS) and
\nUdayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri.<\/p>\n
\"The ballot is expected to run well provided both the
\nconflicting parties comply with the previous agreement on
\ndisarmament in the next two or three days,\" Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki quoted UNAMET officials as saying that it would take
\nthe mission one week to complete the vote count. UNAMET has
\ndecided to pool all the ballots in Dili for counting.<\/p>\n
\"The vote count will be conducted in a transparent manner
\nbefore the observers,\" Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
Violations<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Committee for a Free and Fair Ballot, or the
\nHAK Foundation, was the latest group to report a wave of
\nviolations on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Director of the Hak Foundation Aniceto Guterres said the
\npopular consultation had been unfair since it began 100 days ago,
\nbecause of the prointegration militias, the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) and the National Police (Polri).<\/p>\n
Guterres said that despite attempts to improve security
\nthrough peace agreements between pro and anti-independence groups
\nover the past few weeks, the fate of East Timorese \"is at a
\ncrossroad\" due to a plan by the militias, backed by TNI and
\npolice, to sabotage the result of the ballot.<\/p>\n
\"The fundamental problem ... is the lack of sanctions against
\nthe perpetrators of violence and the support of and involvement
\nof government officials, TNI and Polri personnel.<\/p>\n
\"Without firm action against them, the East Timorese will be
\nforced to participate in a ballot which is not free and fair,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
The monitoring body urged the UN to take over security matters
\nentrusted to the Indonesian government under the May 5 agreement
\nand send a peacekeeping force to the territory. (33\/amd\/byg\/rms)<\/p>",
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