An inevitable decision

President B.J. Habibie's decision to "invite" a United Nations peacekeeping force to join the Indonesian Military (TNI) in restoring peace and order in East Timor is a wise decision in the face of strong international pressure this past week. It provides Indonesia with a face-saving exit after suffering such international indignation for its handling of East Timor.

After Indonesia bungled its job to promote security in the territory, it would not be surprising to find some countries have misgivings about Jakarta's intentions. They would be right to see the "security cooperation", as Habibie termed the offer, as another trick by Jakarta to buy more time in its desperate attempt to keep East Timor.

In the past week, the whole world has watched in horror as East Timor degenerated into total anarchy. The Indonesian government, which has been entrusted with the task of maintaining peace and order, did virtually nothing as pro-Indonesia militias in East Timor launched a massive terror campaign against their own populace, killing proindependence supporters, forcing hundreds of thousands to leave their homes, and destroying buildings and other property.

It was this inaction, and the strongly substantiated allegations that the military was aiding the scorch-earth campaign, that raised the international outcry against Indonesia and the calls to send in an international peacekeeping force into East Timor to replace the Indonesian security forces.

A remark by Gen. Wiranto, the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, during the weekend that his soldiers had psychological difficulties in clamping down on, or shooting the rampaging pro- Indonesia militias because they had fought together against the East Timor separatists these last 23 years, served only to confirm the lack of impartiality of the military. If only such a frank yet disturbing admission had been made months ago, then security arrangements during and before the ballot in East Timor would never have been entrusted to Indonesia, and we could probably have avoided this unnecessary bloodshed.

Indonesia's belligerent attitude before Sunday fueled speculation that the government and the military had no real intention of letting East Timor go, and that they had other plans for the territory. That suspicions will likely remain until Indonesia proves its honest intentions with deeds.

Indonesia's offer looks good on paper, but Jakarta will most likely find it an uphill struggle to regain the trust and confidence of the international community.

The human tragedy that unfolded in East Timor this past week made compelling argument for Indonesia to leave the territory, over which it never had any legitimate claim in the first place, as soon as possible. The government, until Sunday, had stood firmly by an agreement it signed with the United Nations in May, which states that Indonesia would leave East Timor, if it lost the vote, only after the result was endorsed by the People's Consultative Assembly in November. Indonesia argued that only the Assembly, rather than the government, can annul its own 1978 decree which formally annexed East Timor into the republic.

If the government is serious about living up to the letter of that agreement, the responsible thing to do now is to admit failure, and to plan an immediate exit. In the course of the discussion to bring the UN force into East Timor, Jakarta should come up with a game plan of phasing out its soldiers and let the UN force take complete charge of the security arrangement. As the result of the Aug. 30 vote in East Timor shows, Indonesia does not have any business staying there one day longer.