UNAMET pulls seven personel from Viqueque<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Assistance Mission in East
\nTimor (UNAMET) temporarily pulled seven of its 13 personnel from
\nViqueque following a death threat from an armed prointegration
\nmilitia group, its spokesman said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The UNAMET acting spokesman, Hiro Ueki, said the 20 strong-
\nmilitia demonstrated in front of the UN mission post on Wednesday
\nafternoon, and shouted threatening remarks at the personnel.<\/p>\n
\"A group of militia men with some weapons surrounded the
\nhouse, threatening UNAMET should go home or they would be
\nkilled,\" Ueki told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Ueki, who is temporarily replacing spokesman David Wimhurst
\nduring his absence, said UNAMET decided to transfer the seven
\nvolunteers to Dili, but retained six personnel, including three
\npolice advisors.<\/p>\n
\"Today the situation was calm. We will continue to assess the
\nsituation tomorrow, and will decide later whether we can send
\nthem back to Viqueque,\" Ueki said.<\/p>\n
The attack in Viqueque, 171 kilometers east of Dili, was the
\nsecond incident after a UNAMET post in the Bobonaro district town
\nof Maliana on Tuesday was ransacked, injuring at least seven
\npeople including one UN personnel. Police were still questioning
\n10 suspects in the Maliana incident.<\/p>\n
East Timor Police spokesman Capt. Widodo D.S. said the
\ndemonstration in Viqueque, led by Regerio da Silva Amaral and
\nFilomeno Soares Sarmento, was peaceful, and merely aimed to
\ndemand UNAMET remain neutral and fair, as its presence in the
\nprovince tended to take sides with the anti-integration group,
\nAntara reported. The UN has dismissed such allegations.<\/p>\n
\"Since the arrival of UNAMET's presence in Viqueque, the
\nsecurity condition has turned around from a conducive condition
\nto an insecure one,\" Widodo quoted the demonstration leader as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
A journalist at Suara Timor Timur (STT) reported on his return
\nfrom Viqueque that the protesters demanded a thorough
\ninvestigation on the murder of three friends in Lacluta district
\nlast month, and another missing in Uimaro subdistrict in
\nViqueque. Neither UNAMET or the UN civilian police are authorized
\nto investigate crimes.<\/p>\n
\"During the demonstration, the power supply and telephone
\nlines were paralyzed,\" Germano de Sousa told the Post.<\/p>\n
From Canberra, AP reported Prime Minister John Howard as
\nsaying on Thursday he would write to President B.J. Habibie to
\nprotest the attack in Maliana.<\/p>\n
He also revealed for the first time his personal misgivings
\nabout sending unarmed Australian personnel to East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We agonized before the police went, about whether they were
\narmed or not,\" the prime minister said.<\/p>\n
East Timor deputy police chief Col. Muafi Sahudji confirmed on
\nThursday that 400 Falintil soldiers, the armed wing of the
\nproindependence Council for East Timor Resistance (CNRT), signed
\na peace agreement with rivals in Suai city of Covalima regency on
\nWednesday. East Timor Military commander Col. Tono Suratman was
\npresent at the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Minister of Defense and Security\/Indonesian Military (TNI)
\nchief Gen. Wiranto said on Wednesday at least 1,000 Falintil
\nsoldiers would soon leave the jungle to follow in the steps of
\ntheir 220 colleagues.<\/p>\n
\"Police are ready to accommodate and guarantee the security of
\nFalintil members who agree to leave the mountains, including the
\n400 people,\" East Timor deputy police chief Col. Muafi Saudji
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In Dili, about 60 youths from the Renetil and Impetu
\nproindependence groups rallied against the government decision to
\nban self-exiled Jose Ramos Horta to visit his homeland after an
\nabsence of 23 years.<\/p>\n
\"All East Timorese have the right to come,\" he said, as quoted
\nby AFP.<\/p>\n
In a written report to a Cabinet meeting, Minister of Foreign
\nAli Alatas insisted on Wednesday Horta would not be allowed to
\nvisit the territory for the sake of his own safety. Alatas said
\nlast month the government might consider permission as long as
\nHorta did not campaign there.<\/p>\n
Horta, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate, arrived in
\nJakarta on Saturday to attend peace talks which concluded on
\nWednesday. He said he accepted the ban, which also applied to all
\nEast Timorese coming to the talks from overseas.<\/p>\n
In front of the hotel where the meeting was held, a
\nprointegration group issued on Wednesday a death threat against
\nHorta if he tried to return home.<\/p>\n
\"He will be killed as soon as he arrives in East Timor by the
\nAitarak or the Besi Merah Putih (armed militia group),\" group
\nleader Joao Angelo de Sousa said.(33\/prb)<\/p>",
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