U.S. warns Indonesia over East Timor violence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A visiting U.S. official warned Indonesia on
\nWednesday that its relations with the world community, including
\nthe U.S., would suffer if it failed to stop rampant violence in
\nEast Timor ahead of a self-determination ballot there in August.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after meeting with top government
\nofficials and jailed East Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre
\nXanana Gusmao, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia
\nand Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth said he had asked Indonesian
\nofficials not to simply blame the UN for the problems there.<\/p>\n
"If the opposite is the case and the agreement falls apart and
\nit is viewed to be the failure of the government... that will
\nobviously have consequences, too, in terms of Indonesia's
\nreputation and the relationship between Indonesia and a number of
\ncountries around the world, including my own," said Roth.<\/p>\n
Roth, scheduled to go to Dili on Thursday, also said: "I have
\nbeen very candid in all my conversations with officials here to
\nindicate that it is simply not acceptable to blame the United
\nNations for the problems."<\/p>\n
The UN Security Council urged Indonesia on Monday to improve
\nsecurity in East Timor, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
\nAlatas complained to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the UN
\nMission in East Timor (UNAMET) was siding with pro-independence
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
According to AP, the council also supported Annan's decision
\nto delay the registration of eligible voters for three days to
\nFriday, and his statement that he would not hold the UN-
\nsupervised ballot unless voters could be assured of casting
\nballots in safety.<\/p>\n
"Members of the council called on the Indonesian authorities
\nurgently to make concrete progress in improving the security
\nsituation in East Timor for the ballot to take place on time,"
\nsaid the council president, Agam Hasmy of Malaysia.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Annan, released on Tuesday, Alatas said UN
\nstaff in East Timor were perceived as being partial to pro-
\nindependence campaigners and had allowed them to take refuge
\ninside their compound.<\/p>\n
Alatas reviewed several demonstrations and attacks against
\nUNAMET personnel, the most serious being in Liquica on July 4
\nwhen pro-integration militia assaulted and fired shots at a UN
\naid convoy.<\/p>\n
"Had UNAMET followed the advice of the Indonesian Task Force
\nby securing permission of the competent local authorities and
\nestablishing cooperation and coordination with them, the
\nunfortunate incident at Liquica would not have happened," Alatas
\nsaid in the letter.<\/p>\n
Alatas, however, also assured Annan that the government would
\nnot tolerate any violence and was determined to "bring the
\nperpetrators to justice regardless of which group they belong
\nto".<\/p>\n
In Maliana, the capital of Bobonaro regency, police dispersed
\non Tuesday evening 10 pro-integration militiamen who were trying
\nto break into the UN office in the town.<\/p>\n
"It is a very good sign," UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst
\nsaid, praising police for their quick action.<\/p>\n
From Washington, visiting Australian Prime Minister John
\nHoward urged Indonesia to keep faith with its commitment for a
\nfair ballot in East Timor.<\/p>\n
"Our message to the Indonesian government is a very clear one:
\nThe world expects that (Indonesia's) armed forces will keep faith
\nwith Indonesia's commitment to allow a vote free of violence,"
\nHoward said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
\nreported on Wednesday an interview with an Australian citizen who
\nclaimed he had been fighting with armed pro-independence group
\nFalintil.<\/p>\n
"What drove me (to come) was the fact that these people have
\nlost children and they are here suffering and the world has
\nturned their back on them for so long and I felt like I had to do
\nsomething," said the 26-year-old man, who identified himself as
\nAnthony.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, leaders of warring factions in East Timor agreed to
\nmeet again this month to discuss the technicalities of
\ndisarmament of both pro-independence and pro-integration groups.<\/p>\n
Djoko Sugianto, a member of the National Commission on Human
\nRights and also the Peace and Stability Commission (KPS), said on
\nWednesday the meeting would also be attended by UNAMET officials.<\/p>\n
The KPS comprises pro- and anti-integration groups, the human
\nrights commission, and senior government officials. Its first
\nmeeting took place on June 18.<\/p>\n
"KPS will hold a plenary meeting, which will be attended by
\nUNAMET to discuss the technical implementation of disarmament,"
\nsaid Djoko.(33\/prb)<\/p>",
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