U.S. senator calls UN peacekeepers in E. Timor<\/p>\n
MALIANA, East Timor (AFP): A U.S. senator called here Saturday
\nfor armed UN peacekeepers to be sent to East Timor to cap
\nviolence in the run-up and during the Aug. 30 self-determination
\nvote.<\/p>\n
\"I can assure you that we will be asking our government and
\nthe United Nations to provide some peace keeping forces here,\"
\nDemocrat Tom Harkin told a crowd of refugees in a church here.<\/p>\n
Harkin, with two other senators, was speaking during a brief
\nhelicopter visit to hundreds of refugees camped in a church
\ncompound, driven from their homes by pro-Indonesian militia
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
On his return to the East Timorese capital of Dili, Harkin
\ntold AFP he was going to make his request directly to President
\nBill Clinton.<\/p>\n
\"I'm going to recommend it to President Clinton. I'm going to
\ndo that before the weekend's out,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I just know that they need some forces down here with blue
\nhelmets that are armed because the situation could get out of
\nhand, because one of the UN officials told me this could be a
\nbloodbath.\"<\/p>\n
Asked how long he thought any such peace keeping force should
\nstay, Harkin replied: \"From now, right through the election and
\nafterwards.\"<\/p>\n
Under an agreement reached between Jakarta and Lisbon in May,
\nIndonesian police are responsible for security in the run-up and
\nduring the vote in which East Timorese will accept or reject an
\nIndonesian autonomy offer.<\/p>\n
The UN currently has only unarmed police in an advisory role,
\nas well as military observers.<\/p>\n
On Friday Harkin and Democratic senator Jack Reed warned that
\nIndonesia's ties with the United States could be harmed if its
\nmilitary fails to maintain security during the landmark vote.<\/p>\n
\"This is a test case for the Indonesian authorities,
\nparticularly the military, whether or not they can conduct a safe
\nand fair election,\" Reed said on his arrival.<\/p>\n
\"It is a test of whether we will continue to support their
\nefforts, both in terms of financial support to Indonesia and also
\nin increasing ties to their military.\"<\/p>\n
Reed, Harkin and Jack McGovern, another Democrat, arrived on a
\nU.S. Air Force jet for a visit that will end later Saturday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-senator-calls-un-peacekeepers-in-e-timor-1447893297",
"image": ""
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