Civil war may tear E. Timor if troops withdrawn: Military
Civil war may tear E. Timor if troops withdrawn: Military
DILI, East Timor (JP): The military gave a warning Saturday
that East Timor would be riddled by a civil war if the government
bowed to foreign pressure to withdraw its troops from the
territory.
"You may not believe it but the Vatican ambassador to
Indonesia is the one who has warned of such a possibility," East
Timor's Wiradharma military commandant Col. Johny J. Lumintang
told a visiting German member of parliament.
In his meeting with Lumintang, MP Gerhart Rudolf Baum posed
questions about the military's presence in and development of the
former Portuguese colony, which was integrated into the RI in
1976.
Baum asked Lumintang if Armed Forces (ABRI) personnel deployed
in East Timor were given basic knowledge about human rights
standards and if any East Timorese held senior positions in the
military.
Lumintang said all ABRI members hold on to an eight point-
doctrine which requires them to protect the people, protect
women's dignity and respect the local community, which all
represent the implementation of human rights concept.
ABRI currently deploys seven territorial battalions and one
battle battalion in East Timor, he said. The territorial
battalions focus on social services, such as helping local people
build public facilities and introducing better farming systems.
"All ABRI personnel are provided with knowledge of the local
culture so that they are able to mingle with the local
community," Lumintang said, as quoted by Antara.
He added that six East Timor-born officers have completed
their training at the military academy. The senior is a major
currently posted at the Denpasar-based Udayana military command,
which oversees security in Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.
Lumintang said the pressing problems facing East Timor are
economic ones, like the mounting unemployment among the educated
youngsters, rather than security, as foreign observers thought.
The social problems resulting from unemployment may threaten
the development of the 27th province unless the government
handles it properly, he added.
ABRI's presence in East Timor was also raised by the visiting
Japanese members of parliament led by Tomiko Okazaki.
In an interview with The Jakarta Post, Okazaki reiterated his
view that Indonesia should withdraw its troops from East Timor to
help improve respect of human rights there.
Violence
He said the withdrawal of troops was also demanded in 1976 by
the United Nations, which has not recognized East Timor's
integration into Indonesia.
"We are concerned about widespread violence and intimidation
which lead to the violation of human rights," he said.
The Japanese had raised their concerns about the military
presence in the territory when they met with Indonesian Foreign
Minister Ali Alatas in Jakarta last week.
Alatas told his guests that ABRI had withdrawn almost all of
its combat troops from East Timor and only the territorial units
remained. He said the Japanese lacked the knowledge about the
difference between territorial and combat forces.
The government began pulling out its combat troops from East
Timor in April of last year and has since transferred all
military functions from the special command to the Udayana
regional command.
Okazaki said, despite his concern over the conditions in East
Timor, he would not recommend that the Japanese government
provide special assistance for the province.
"Japan provides assistance to the Indonesian government and it
is up to Jakarta how it will use the aid," he said.
The five-member Japanese parliamentary delegation, accompanied
by a group of journalists and translators, had the chance to meet
with local officials.
When meeting governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, the Japanese
expressed their regret over the Japanese troops' brutality in
East Timor during World War II, similar to the other Asia-Pacific
countries they occupied.
About 50 civilians in East Timor were murdered in the Japanese
occupation from 1942-1945, according to local historians.
(yac/pan)