Violence could endanger East Timor ballot: Alatas<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas warned on
\nWednesday that ongoing violence, intimidation and attacks by both
\nproindependence and prointegration forces in East Timor could
\nendanger the planned direct ballot in the province.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after meeting with President B.J.
\nHabibie at Merdeka Palace, Alatas said security forces and police
\nshould step up their efforts to restore order and create a
\nconducive atmosphere before and during the process of self-
\ndetermination.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that all parties should heed United Nations
\nSecretary-General Kofi Annan's concern over security in the
\nprovince, saying a delay of the ballot would tarnish Indonesia's
\nimage and interests.<\/p>\n
\"Security personnel are expected to take firm action and, when
\nneeded, arrest, investigate and bring to justice those people who
\nprovoke and violate the law ... ,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
\"As I have said a number of times in recent statements, there
\nis still concern on the UN side and until now the situation has
\nnot been resolved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Annan would assess the situation in East Timor
\nbefore June 13, and if conditions were not considered suitable,
\nthe Aug. 8 ballot could be postponed.<\/p>\n
\"If he says it (the situation) is not conducive then all of
\nour efforts will be useless and there will be a proposal to delay
\n(the ballot),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas said both prointegration and proindependence forces
\nshould be treated equally and receive the same protection from
\nsecurity forces.<\/p>\n
Proindependence leaders, a number of who currently are in
\nhiding, should receive adequate security to enable them to return
\nto their homes and participate in the ballot process, he said.<\/p>\n
He specifically mentioned the names of two proindependence
\nleaders from the National Council of Resistance of East Timor,
\nDavid Dias Ximenes and Leandro Ishac. He said Leandro was forced
\nto seek police protection while David's whereabouts were unknown.<\/p>\n
\"Let them come out (of their hiding places), let them
\nparticipate (in the ballot),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas, however, dismissed allegations made by the UN team in
\nEast Timor, among others, that the Indonesian Military (TNI) was
\ntraining militia groups in the territory.<\/p>\n
He said TNI was currently training the People's Security Force
\n(Kamra) and the People's Resistance Force (Wanra), not armed
\npro-Indonesia militias. He added that TNI was also training Kamra
\nand Wanra in the country's 26 other provinces.<\/p>\n
Alatas also said the United Nations' mission in East Timor
\nwould likely deploy up to 4,000 personnel, including 600 UN
\npersonnel, to organize the direct ballot in the province.<\/p>\n
\"If we include local staff, the number of personnel will
\nlikely reach 4,000,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Under a UN-brokered agreement with Portugal, Indonesia agreed
\nto hold the direct ballot on Aug. 8. However, Indonesia has
\nproposed changing the date to Aug. 7, a Saturday, out of respect
\nfor East Timor's predominantly Catholic population.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a member of the UN mission to East Timor, David
\nWimhurst, warned prointegration groups on Wednesday not to
\nviolate the campaign rules.<\/p>\n
\"We have made it very clear to them there can be no
\ncampaigning on the question of autonomy. We believe they have
\nunderstood that message,\" Wimhurst said in Dili.<\/p>\n
Separately, Amnesty International Australia warned on
\nWednesday that TNI was standing by and even supporting
\nparamilitary activity, while the East Timorese were being forced
\nto flee their homes.<\/p>\n
\"Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Wiranto denies that his
\nforces support these violent militias and is continuing to ignore
\ncalls by the UN and Amnesty International for the paramilitary
\ngroups to be disbanded and disarmed,\" the organization said in a
\nstatement. (prb)<\/p>",
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